Flames, to the Ends of Time
by DeltaWing13
Summary: Yet ANOTHER fanfiction where Natsu and Ultear go back in time! Also, this is my first story, so I'll do my best! On Hiatus. When I get back to this, I'm probably going to remove a few chapters. Will be rewritten when I'm done with my other stories. Up for Adoption.
1. Prologue

**AN: This is my first fanfiction, so -wait, this is my first story at all. In any case, please be lenient. I'm still in middle school, English is not my primary language, and I don't even have a proofreader! Constructive criticism is deeply welcome, and thank you for reading.**

. .

 **X791**

Natsu gazed up at the sky, clothes tattered, as destruction and chaos descended.

The dragons raged across the sky and rained magic upon Crocus, the capital of Fiore.

They had taken too long to close the Eclipse Gate. Far too long; well over 20 dragons had crossed, and they were practically immune to all magic, except Dragon Slayer Magic. There were only 7 in the country who knew it, and they had all but fallen.

Tensing his legs so as to challenge the dragons once more.

"Natsu!"

Stopping his jump, he turned around and saw a familiar Time Mage, Ultear.

"What's wrong? Apart from the dragons, that is" Natsu asked.

"I may have found a way to stop the dragons!" Seeing Natsu open his mouth, Ultear quickly cut him off. "My Lost Magic has a forbidden technique, Last Ages. It uses the caster's magic to turn back time. If you don't have enough magic, it uses your life force instead" Ultear finished grimly.

"Knowing you, you'd probably sense the magic, run over here, and stop the spell. So I've come to tell you beforehand; this is our LAST hope." Turning away, she ran off.

"Damn it, you know as well as I do that you have no chance at pulling it off in the state you're in" Natsu said, catching up swiftly.

"So?"

"So let me help"

"What!? Didn't you hear me? It WILL kill you!" Ultear stared at him, aghast.

Natsu shrugged, his signature grin cropping up on his face once more. "So? If it fails, I die anyways. Plus, I get to save all my friends too!"

Sighing, Ultear caved in "It's your choice. I am casting it anyways, so I could use the extra help. One last question; are you completely sure?" Ultear looked deep into his eyes, wanting to see if he showed any signs of hesitation.

Natsu nodded once again, grinning. "If it means I can save my friends, I am."

Sighing, Ultear started casting the spell.

"Lost Arc of Time: Last Ages!"

. .

 **X?**

 **At Tenroujima**

A man dressed in a white sash and a black coat, lined with gold, gazed up at the sky. "Natsu… So you used _that_ spell... Interesting…"

 **Meanwhile, at Fairy Tail's basement**

A purple crystal, encasing a young girl, lightly glowing. Sending off waves of magic, a small apparition, with the same appearance as the aforementioned girl, shimmered into existence. Assuming the position of one deeply in thought, the Thought Apparition began thinking aloud.

"Hmmm… With this, the timeline we once knew is long gone… Perhaps I should reveal myself once more?"

She disappeared, giggling to herself.

 **And that's it for chapter one! Oh, and I am ignoring the part where the dragonslayers are from 400 years in the past. It's really hard for me to work that in.**


	2. X774

**AN: Wow! I didn't really have high hopes for this, so the followers is already beyond my expectations by… well, ten! Also, that previous chapter was a prologue. Thanks for reading, everyone!**

..

 **June 14, X774**

In a top secret facility maintained by the Magic Council, a huge magic surge all but destroyed everything within a 2-mile radius. From the facility, or what was left of it, a young boy and girl groaned, and slowly got to their feet. The girl had raven hair and looked around 8. The boy had pink hair, and looked around 7.

"Ughhh… That was almost as bad as being on a train. Let's NOT do that again, Ultear" the boy said, groaning and looking around. "Where are we, anyways? Never been here before…"

Finally adjusting to the brightness of the day, the girl known as Ultear merely observed their surroundings, her eyes the only indication to her fury at what she saw. That was, until she spoke.

"This, Natsu, is the place my life became ruined" she spat, her voice dripping with venom. Then, her eyes grew, and ran around looking for something. Finally seeing the date, she jumped in joy. "Natsu, this year… My mom is still alive!"

Natsu's eyes widened, and both of them cried fears of joy, Ultear for her mother, and Natsu for his friend. Soon, he stopped. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go see your mom!"

..

Elsewhere, within the darkness of a cave, one large, golden orb of light slowly opened. **"** **Natsu…"**

..

The duo slowly trekked up a snow-capped mountain. Ultear was shivering, so Natsu decided to carry her on his back, so that his warmth could easily keep her comfortable. At first, she resisted, but soon gave in. Silence loomed around the two, which Natsu hated.

"Hey, Ultear, tell me about your mom. Gray said she taught him stripping habits". Immediately, Natsu knew he made the wrong choice. The sudden chill was nearly tangible.

"My mom is not like that! Gray probably taught himself, that idiot!" She hissed. "And you! What's with showing off your chest all the ti-"

They were in front of a small cabin. The sign read 'Ur'

Gulping, Ultear made no movements. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Natsu knocked on the door, which opened to reveal a frowning boy with hair similar to Ultear's, only wearing boxers. The smell of something cooking wafted through, instantly making Natsu drool.

"What do you want?"

Immediately, a voice yelled. "GRAY! Manners! And tell me who they are!"

"Fine... " Gray grumbled. "So, who are you, and why are you up on this frozen hunk of rock?"

Ultear blinked, as if coming out of a trance. Then, she smiled slyly, which chilled Natsu to the bone, despite not even seeing it, due to her being on his back. "Why I'm merely returning to my home! The question is what are YOU doing here?" Ultra asked innocently.

"Look, can we just come in?" Natsu asked, sensing trouble and cutting Gray off. "She needs to talk to Ur"

As soon as the name came out of his mouth, a woman that looked like future Ultear, but with short hair, appeared in the doorway. "Well? Is the Council sending kids no-" She stopped, recognizing the Ultear, who was still on Natsu's back.

"Ultear… My tear…" Eyes moistening, she ran forward and hugged her daughter, who had jumped off Natsu. "You're alive… You're really alive!"

Ultear was in no better shape, sobbing into her mom's shoulder. "Y-yes… I finally saw you again!"

Marsh looked at Gray and Lyon, who just came to see the cause of the ruckus. Exchanging glances, they shrugged and let the family's touching reunion continue.

..

At an unknown village, a demon appeared in the middle of town, causing destruction. The people ran, until three siblings, sniffling in their hiding spot, were all that was left. Slowly, the eldest child rose. She had to protect her family!

" Mira-nee! Where are you go-NO!" A young, white-haired boy yelled after his similarly hair-colored sister"

Trembling, Mirajane stood between the demon and her siblings. 'Don't worry, Elfman, Lisanna. I'll make sure it doesn't lay a hand on you' she thought. Gathering what she was told was called "magic", she yelled with all her might and screamed the first words she could think of. "SOUL TAKEOVER: SATAN SOUL! "

..

 **Wow, guess who that was. Anyways, I am going to start preparing for the harem route, as it seems to be the most popular choice. The top two girls are Ultear and Lisanna (my personal favorites), so I'll emphasize on those two for now. I will draw my conclusion in a week or so, so take the poll on my profile, please!**


	3. Reunion

**AN: Hey everyone. For the record, I was planning to take it really slow, but I seem to have quite an amount of readers. Thank you! So, I'll just update whenever I think up something interesting, or when I get bored, about once a week. And now, Chapter 2.**

..

 **June 14, X774**

Having escaped the freezing outdoors and entered the warm, cozy cabin, Natsu gazed at his surroundings. Ultear sat next to him on the couch in front of a table, shivering and leaning her head on Natsu's shoulder, in search of warmth. Noticing this, Natsu flicked a small spark of fire onto the fireplace before them, failing to see Ur's amused expression as she gazed at the duo.

Only once has she felt such joy, and that was when her daughter was born. Being told she was dead brought depression like no other. That was, until she met Gray and Lyon. They had brought light into her life, albeit not as bright as the one Ultear had brought-and taken-with her, and gave her something to distract herself with. Now, her beloved daughter was back, and apparently with a young boy that she didn't seem to mind, to say the least.

Slowly, a different kind of smile spread across her face, one worthy of Future Mirajane.

Feeling chills spreading up his spine, he searched for the cause of the unusual feeling. Soon, Natsu located the source.

"Ur-san," he said in hopes of halting the shivers, "Can we talk? Just me, Ultear, and you?"

..

Said person was having a battle of will with a demon. At first, her takeover seemed successful. Her siblings were watching her in awe. Then, a dark voice, that of the demon, began whispering in her mind. Whispering and muttering of its yearning for destruction. Vaguely remembering her magic lesson, she tried to focus and limit the demon to a place on her body, any place.

Watching Mira, alongside her brother Elfman, Lisanna felt a strange familiarity with the scene. Ignoring it, she looked on in worry as her sister began to show signs of struggling.

Soon, the magic died down, revealing Mirajane, alone. But something was wrong. Her eyes being automatically drawn to Mira's hand, she gasped. Thinking that-no, KNOWING that something bad would happen if the villagers knew of it, she quickly clasped Mira's other hand and started running home, knowing Elfman would follow.

..

"So, you're saying you are from the future?" Ur asked, seeking confirmation.

The two kids nodded.

Sighing, she decided to be better safe than sorry. "So if you did, then do you have any proof? Not that I think you're lying, but that facility, by the looks of it, would have no qualms with altering memories. Also, you clearly stated Last Ages should've killed you, yet you're here, alive and well".

Nodding once more, Natsu took the lead. "Well, as to how we're alive, I'm not sure. It could be my massive magic reserves, over 10 times what it is now, or it could be the fact that Lost Magics don't mix well. Also, if you want confirmation, then how about this? Iced Shell is a forbidden magic that consumes the magic of the user to seal something, like what you will do to Deliora in a couple months. Speaking of which, you will encounter him because Deliora was the one that killed Gray's family, causing him to seek Deliora for reve-"

The door collapsed, revealing Lyon and Gray with wide eyes.

"How the hell do you know about that?" Gray demanded, slightly wounded at the revelation that Ur was going to die. Because of _him_.

Ur was no better off. "I don't believe it. I'm gonna die, and _Natsu_ survived an encounter with Zeref!? He can't be sealed, even with Iced Shell. Speaking of which, how _did_ you know about Iced Shell?"

At this point, Ultear. was. pissed. "First of all, let me into this conversation! Next, Gray, Mom, we already said we're from the future. Finally, Gray, why the heck were you and Lyon listening in on us!?"

Natsu sighed, exchanging glances with Lyon and deciding to remain out of this, like earlier. Albeit for different reasons.

..

The orb of light in the deep, dark cave mentioned last chapter was not happy. Flames were flung forth, as if from flamethrower. This revealed the majestic form of a red dragon, its shadow dancing on the walls of the cave.

" **Natsu, you brat! You better not be messing anything up until I find you!"**

Strolling out of the cave, Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons, was up in the air and flying towards the snowing mountains with but a single beat of his majestic wings.

..

 **That's Chapter 2 for now. In case you didn't know, I bolded Igneel's, and all magical beasts' for that case, words. Also, I plan on having multiple scenes occurring at the same time, so I'll be listing the PoVs from the next chapter, after they split up.**


	4. Igneel

**AN: Yes, I know that I have been showing scenes from Zeref, Mavis, the Strauss siblings, Igneel, and Natsu and Ultear's PoV. I'll wrap some up, whereas others will be developed (with flashbacks) later on. In this and the next, I'll bring some together, then it'll be around the time when Erza and the others get kidnapped, so wait until then if you like Jerza. So long, then!**

..

 **June 15, X774**

After explaining everything to Ur, they decided to rest, since the last time was right before a dragon invasion, time traveling, then trekking out of a desert and up a snowy mountain.

"Hey, Ultear?" Natsu started, hands on the back of his head as he laid on the bed.

"Where were we? You know, when we arrived. You never told me."

Ultear, who was on another bed, froze. Her hair shadowed her eyes. "That's…"

Natsu, realizing that his question might have been personal, tried to solve his mistake. "You don't have to tell me if you don't, I won't be angry or anything."

Chuckling at how Natsu always puts others before himself, she opened up. "No, don't worry. That place just didn't have the best impression on me. You know how I had too much magic when I was young? Mom brought me to those scientists, wanting to save me. Later, she was told I was dead, so that they could keep on doing painful experiments on me. That was what actually made me search for Zeref last time. For reve-"

Suddenly, a tremor ran throughout the house, causing them to run outside, with Ur, Gray, and Lyon. Along the way, Natsu sniffed the air. At this, he smiled. With newfound energy he blasted through the door and jumped onto Igneel, whose landing had caused aforementioned tremor. Meanwhile, the Ultear assumed a battle position as Gray and Lyon's jaws dropped. Ur, seeing Ultear's reaction, did the same, but stopped when she saw Natsu. Confused, she laid a hand on Ultear's shoulder, motioning for her to stop.

"Natus, you know this dragon?" She asked, lowering her hands. Then, realization hit her. "Wait a minute, at this point in time, you weren't abandoned yet… Is that Igneel!?"

" **Yes, I am indeed Igneel, the Fire Dragon King. Now, you two brats have a LOT of explaining to do, traveling through time."**

At this, everyone's (except Natsu, who was too busy hugging Igneel) jaw dropped. Ur's doubts about them telling the truth vanished. After all, why would this dragon lie? Gray and Lyon were already amazed at the magical creature before them, even more so when they learned it could speak. As for Ultear, she was surprised that he knew of the time jump. She began wondering who else knew, and asked him.

" **So, I assume that you were the time mage whose spell got ruined due to my brat's interference? I apologize for that."** Igneel said, flicking Natsu off of him. " **As to your question, that spell only affects mortals of this world. Immortals, dragons, and other-worlders retain memories." Igneel paused, hesitating. "The spells are retained, but their magic capacities are reverted to that of the time traveled to. This applies to the casters as well."** Igneel finished, once again glaring at the two.

"What!" Natsu shouted, having recovered from being buried in 4 feet of snow. "Great, now I have to train all over again!"

Grumbling, Natsu thought about the people that would fall under the categories mentioned before. "Hey, so Mystogan can help us now? And the First Master?"

Ultear bonked him on the head, like she saw Erza do/will do so many times. "Idiot, that also means we can help everyone from traumas."

Ur, shocked at their behavior in front of Igneel, recovered at this. "Wait, so we're going to help your friends?" Joined by Natsu, they shouted, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Ultear bonked Natsu again, who had his patented grin on his face. "Wait, we can't change history just like that, who knows what'll happen?"

Natsu just pouted, then perked up as she thought of something. Well, you just wanna leave Meredy like that?" Natsu asked, a sly glint in his face.

This, of course, sent Ultear into panic. "Oh, god! I didn't think of that! Well… I guess we can spare the trouble…"

Ur was a little curious at her reaction, but decided to save it for later. "Igneel-san, can you help us? It's ok if you don't but, we'll really appreciate it! Also, I don't think Natsu is leaving Ultear anytime soon" she finished with a slight smirk.

Ultear switched from panic mode to blushing mode. Natsu, who was being pushed onto Igneel, merely grinned and yelled, "Darn right I'm not! We still have to have adventures!"

At this, Igneel sighed, and agreed. " **However, I have one condition; I must not be seen. You humans might not draw too much attention, but I would definitely make the immortals alert. Particularly Zeref."**

"Deal!" Now, let's go!" Natsu shouted, jumping on Igneel, followed by Ultear and Ur. "Well what are you waiting for? The Gray I knew would be hopping on by now, ya stripper!"

Tick marks appearing on his head as he recovered from his stupor, Gray jumped on, as Lyon followed suit, muttering 'craziness' and 'we're all gonna die', among other things.

Thinking for a moment and recalling what his friends had told him, he decided on their destination. "Next stop, Lisanna's house!"

..

 **See what I meant? All wrapped up, for now. Well, I don't have a lot of stuff to say, except for the fact that I really want more reviews. Oh, and you may have noticed, but I got a year wrong on Chapter 1, so I fixed it just now. Well, thanks for reading, and until next time.**


	5. The Strauss Siblings

**AN: So, by this point it'll be hard to make the primary pairing Lisanna, but she'll be the second one, followed by the poll results. As such, Ultear will be the main pairing, sorry! Also, I got a PM asking what happened to Past Natsu and Past Ultear. Think of it like this; Their consciousness got transplanted in their past bodies, and Natsu got teleported to Ultear's location, since she was the one casting the spell.**

..

 **June 16, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. Pov**

Natsu and the others were soaring through the sky, everyone else clinging onto Igneel for fear of death. He, on the other hand laughed and put his hands in the air, loving the feeling of the air as they flew past.

"So, Natsu. Why do you want to go see Lisanna first?" Ultear queried, nervous for reasons unbeknownst to her.

Natsu laid back, thinking hard. "Well, Lis, Mira, and Elfman were the only ones with their trauma right now. Cana has one too, but we'll have to gain her trust to help. After that, we can help Erza's village, I guess? Also, Lis was my closest friend, so it's natural to want to check up on her, right?" Natsu concluded, flashing his patented grin.

Ur spoke up, saying something she had been wondering for a while. "So… How are we gonna get them, without Igneel being seen?"

Natsu piped up immediately, shouting "Oh, I'll go! I'll jump off, and Igneel can bring the rest into the forest. I'll meet up with you later."

"What?!" Ur and Ultear yelled at the same time.

Shrugging, Natsu pointed out points that, for once, actually made sense. "Ultear, your body is too weak to sustain a fall from this height. Ur, you need to take care of Gray and Lyon." He pointed toward the two, eyes wide and still in shock. "Igneel coming is out of the question. Also, walking will take too long."

Sighing, they could only accept his logic, mostly due to not wanting to jump off a dragon flying 300 feet in the air with him.

Sighing, Natsu closed his eyes. "I wonder how Lis is doing…"

 **Lisanna and Co. PoV**

Having hidden at their house for two days, the villagers had finally discovered Mira's arm's transformation. It could have been much more dangerous by now, if they had not hid. The question was, why? Lisanna had been feeling strange since the day they met the demon. Was it due to that? No, they feel like… memories. One that popped up constantly with her siblings… a pink haired boy. Natsu? Suddenly, a loud crack snapped her out of her thinking. She jumped to the window, opening it to yell at the offenders. A scene flashed through her head; she was going to be hit in the head with a bottle! Shocked for a second, she noticed the projectile only as it was too late. She closed her eyes, waiting, and started to backpedal.

Then, a large explosion between the angry villagers and the house knocked everyone off their feet.

She could see the figure of a man-no, a boy?-through the smoke. When it cleared, she gasped.

"Natsu?!"

 **Natsu PoV**

Looking down, he saw a scene described to him so many years ago. Tick marks appeared on his forehead as he saw the villagers. Roaring, he used his flames to propel him even faster.

When he landed, there was a large explosion. At least, by human standards. To him, the quality of it was kind of iffy. He slowly walked out of the smoke, when someone shouted his name.

"Natsu?!"

Wait a min- no one was supposed to know him! Looking for the speaker, he saw it was an old friend. He flashed a grin and walked over.

"Yo, Lis. Need some help?" He asked, jumping through the window. Inside, he saw Mira and Elfman like they described in his old timeline. Elfman and Mira were both shivering in fear, whilst Mira was wrapped in a cloak, to hide her arm. This caused him to frown, and begin thinking up ways to cheer them up.

By now, the people outside had recovered. to be honest, most of them wanted to run away, but from a kid? No way! Gathering their courage, they began to yell and throw things again.

Sighing, he jumped back outside, telling Lisanna, "I'll be back soon, don't worry". Then he walked over to the offenders, covering his body in fire. Cracking his knuckles, he grinned. But this was not his normal smile. No, that was for friends. This one was dark, and intimidating.

"No matter what reasons you may have, what makes you think _this,"_ he motioned at the trash littered around the house, "is reasonable?"

One of the few villagers that had not pissed their pants, angrily yelled back. "That girl, inside the house, is possessed by a demon! We need to drive it out! Just look at her arm!"

Natsu swiftly deactivated his fire and ran back and from the house, carrying a lightly blushing Mirajane bridal-style. Then, lifting her cloak before she could stop him, he looked at her arm, whistling slightly.

"You see? We need to drive her-no, all of them- out!"

Natsu cleared his throat, and began to speak in a calm voice, despite the situation. "First things first, do NOT attack any of us. I won't kill, but I give some _nasty_ burns. Next, have you never heard of magic? If she really was a demon, don't you think, I don't know, you'd all be DEAD by now?! Oh, and, finally, if you still don't like them, can I bring them with me? They'd make nice company." He finished, grinning at a still blushing Mirajane, then at Lis, still at the window. Slowly, he put Mira down.

Another rioter stepped forward, shouting "No wa-"

He was silenced by a growl, followed by a flaming fist, and him flying back and crashing on another house's wall.

"Damn, still not as strong as before." Natsu muttered. Then he grinned up at the adults. They were already shocked at what he said first, but the next sentence made them flee.

"So, who's next?"

The only people left were him and the Strauss siblings.

Lisanna left the house (through the door) and ran up to Natsu. His appearance, the flames, and his grin allowed her to piece together what she has been wondering for the past two days. "Natsu Dragneel, explain why we are kids again, this instant!"

Silence.

..

 **So, I have hinted at the following plots, in order. There will be detours, but mostly revolving around Cana, Erza, and, later, the dragonslayers. Oh, and they will meet an unexpected friend very, very soon. Once again, please take the poll. Until next time!**

 **Oh, I forgot to mention this, but there is a perfectly reasonable reason that Lisanna remembers everything. At least, in my opinion...**


	6. Author's Note

**So, to everyone reading this, thank you! Also, I have some things I wish to clarify and/or repeat. First, this is my first story, so it might not be perfect. Also, I will TRY to update daily. However, things happen, so sorry I'm advance, and just in case. Next, I will be developing my writing style, from the things I read, learn, or get a message for. Finally, I will try to make EVERYTHING make sense, in due time. Meanwhile, I'll make more, so as to refrain from running out of ideas. Once again, thank you for reading my story!**


	7. Mystogan

**AN: Hello, and thanks for reading! I just hit 1,000 views, yay! Oh, and in addition to last time's announcement, please also take the polls…**

..

 **June 16, X774**

 **Ultear and Co. PoV**

The others looked on in shock as Natsu did just as he said he would, jumping off Igneel mid-flight. Ultear and Igneel merely sighed, not concerned at all for the dragonslayer. After all, this was the idiot that ate Etherion, fought dragons, and ran into the Council dressed (very poorly) like Erza.

"Well, let's go find a spot to land and rest for the night." Ultear said, repositioning herself and pointing to the forest. Along the way, she explained all that Natsu had done, and not to worry about him. But, for some reason, their jaws seemed to drop lower and lower with every word.

Upon landing, Ultear began setting up camp with some supplies she brought in her Re-quip storage. Yes, she had Re-quip. As a matter of fact, most mages had it, but the specialists can utilize it more efficiently and accurately, as well as store more items.

After setting everything up, with the help of the others, they decided to explore the surroundings.

Igneel stayed in the clearing, Gray and Lyon gathered firewood, and Ur and Ultear looked for food together, at the insistence of Ultear. Now that she had her mother back, she wanted to spend all the time she can with her.

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

"Natsu, explain to me just WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Lisanna started whispering, but it had turned into a yell somewhere along the way.

"Holy crap, how do you remember me?" Natsu asked, panicking. 'And, damn, you really are Mira's sis…' he finished in his head.

"How would I know, I don't have a clue what happened, apart from everyone being a kid again?" She replied, clearly suppressing anger and confusion.

"Well… remember when the dragons got through the Eclipse Gate?" He paused, waiting for a response. Seeing her nod, he continued, grinning sheepishly. "I may or may not have boosted Ultear's Time Magic so that we traveled back to X774. Oh, and be careful about the side effects, apparently Lost Magics don't mix well."

Lisanna facepalmed, as Natsu clearly forgot about her clueless sister. "Well? Got any plans?" she asked, expecting a 'no'.

"Well, I was going to ask if you want to join me, Igneel, Ultear, Gray, Lyon, and Ur?" he listed them off on his fingers. "After that, we can drop anyone who wants to leave off at Fairy Tail, and go on to help prevent bad things from happening!" Natsu flashed his signature grin, clearly imagining a fight.

"Ummm…" Mirajane peered at their savior, apparently on familiar terms with Lisanna. "I don't know what's going on, but we can't stay here, and we don't have anywhere to go. We might as well go with him, Lisanna. So, can we talk on the road?"

Glancing at Natsu, she sighed and nodded. "Fine, Mira, can you go get Elfman? I want to have a few more words with this guy".

As Mira walked back to the house, covering her hand in her cloak again, Lisanna turned her attention back to Natsu. "So, explain."

And so Natsu repeated everything that had happened, and started over again as they left when Elfman and Mira arrived. Soon, night came along, and they began to set up camp for the night. Well, mostly Natsu, as Mira and Elfman didn't have a clue what to do, and Lisanna was too weak to do much, so Natsu did it for her.

Natsu had only one tent, so he gave it to the siblings. Leaning back with his hands behind his head, he gazed at the stars, and grinned when he smelled a familiar scent.

"Well, Mystogan, what are you doing all the way out here? Or should I say, your Majesty Jellal?"

"Well, well, Natsu. After your _fantastic_ departure, I thought we'd never meet again. Least of all like this…"

"I always knew we would meet again!" Natsu beamed at a vague outline in the shadows. Then, he scrunched up his face. "Never thought it'd be like this, though."

Chuckling, Mystogan stepped out from the shadows. "So, care to explain?"

Sighing, Natsu, for the third time that day, began his lengthy explanation.

After that, Mystogan set up another tent, inviting Natsu, and receiving a simple "Nah" as a simple reply. Chuckling, he headed in for the night.

..

The next day, after a few quick introductions, they set off again. Soon they came to the others' camp, to which there were many gasps all around.

Ultear ran up to Natsu and hugged him, making a few people seeth and Natsu blush. Stupid as they called him, even he knew that there were things that were… unusual with this.

Ur grinned at her daughter's antics, and began planning how to get her daughter with the pink-haired mage. Lisanna began releasing an aura that further underlined her as the sister of Mirajane. Mystogan maintained a neutral expression. Gray and Lyon were asleep, and Elfman looked in shock at Igneel, as did Mira, until she noticed Ultear's action. Then, she, much like Ur, began to plot how to get her sister closer to Natsu than the girl hugging the boy.

Igneel sighed as he looked over the ragtag bunch.

Soon, they took off into the air, and headed to Magnolia.

And so their adventures begun.

..

 **So, I added Mystogan a bit earlier than planned, but, hey, what the heck! And as for Mira, I'll just make her a support character for Lisanna, who, along with Ultear, will be the main pairings. Anyways, the chapters have been slowly getting bigger, but this shrunk down a bit, because I have school. Sorry about that! Until next time!**


	8. The Reason Why

**AN: Well, I decided that the pairings will be as follows: Natsu x Ultear and Lisanna are the main ones, while there'll be a bit of Natsu x Kagura, and maybe some Natsu x Flare. Take the poll or PM me if you want someone else added or replaced. Thanks for reading!**

..

 **June 17, X774**

 **Lisanna and Co. PoV**

Flying through the skies as they head for Magnolia, Lisanna decided to chat with Igneel. "Hey, Igneel?" The red dragon looked up at her, sitting on his head. " **Well, looks like you aren't afraid of me, little one."** Lisanna pouted as he chuckled. "Well, Natsu told me everything there is to you, and I wouldn't be small if it weren't for him!" she finished with a glare at Natsu, who was prancing around, oblivious. "Anyways, I wanted to know; why is it that I, out of everyone, remember what happened?"

They flapped around for a few minutes, thinking.

" **You are the one that got sent to Edolas for two years, correct?"** Seeing her nod, he stated his theory. " **Perhaps you not only adjusted to the lack of Ethernanos, you also adjusted to being in another world. Thus, Last Ages registered you as a resident of Edolas as well."**

Lisanna's eyes widened. "Well, I guess that's reasonable… Oh yeah what are you going after we get to Magnolia? Natsu's going to be so sad if you leave again…"

Chuckling, Igneel glanced back at the boy. " **You know, he isn't nearly as sad without me when he's around you guys. He'll be fine."**

Lisanna noticed that he didn't answer his question, but immediately forgot about it, as Magnolia was showing up in the distance. Slowly, Igneel descended in a clearing both she and Natsu recognized; it was where they raised Happy. Speaking of which, Lisanna wondered where he was.

..

 **Mavis PoV**

Mavis's Thought Projection appeared once more, peering up to the ceiling, through which another rambunctious guild brawl can be heard despite the thick stone lining. She grinned, knowing the guild would never change. Sighing, she vanished, reappearing beside a short, old man. "Master Makarov, may I have a moment, with you?" She giggled at Makarov's bewildered face as he looked at her floating figure.

"First Master?! But- but you're dead! I mean, how are you here?" He sputtered, as the rest of the guild became silent, staring at the unknown floating entity, who was, apparently, the First Master.

"WHAAAAA?!"

Mavis giggled once more at her guild. Then, clearing her throat, she got down to business. "A few… acquaintances of mine are going to show up today. Oh, but most of them are kids, so be nice!" Then, she disappeared, leaving a faint echo of a giggle behind, as well as a very confused guild.

..

 **Zeref PoV**

"So, you have made your move, Mavis. Now, it's time for mine." Zeref said, gazing into the sky. " **Demons of Zeref, return to your master!"**

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

As they landed, Natsu and the others decided to discuss future plans before going to Fairy Tail.

"Ur, you still need to complete Gray and Lyon's training, or else Ice Prick won't hold a candle to me" Natsu said, smirking.

"What'd you say, Flame Brain?" Lightning arced between the two boys' eyes, before they got clonked on the head by Ultear. Natsu muttered "the new Erza… scary…".

This was followed by Ultear stretching his cheeks and choking him.

Sweat droplets formed as their group looked at the two, then they went back to the conversation without them.

"So, like Natsu said, I'll train Gray and Lyon, and hopefully Ultear as well" Ur stated, receiving a nod from Ultear as she gave Natsu a short reprieve, then promptly returning to her task.

"We'll go visit them to learn Take-Over magic, and get rid of Mira's arm" Lisanna decided, after contemplating their options.

"I'll find my magic staves. However, I don't think anymore Anima will appear, thanks to Edolas not opening them anymore, due to them being several years in the future now. I'll meet up with you guys… later" Mystogan said, dashing off into the forest.

" **The dragons are going to have a council to discuss this new… development. I don't know when I'll be back, if ever. Just break this if you ever need help."** Igneel handed them a medallion, then flapping his wings as he took off.

Sensing Ultear loosening her grip on his neck due to the sudden gusts of wind, he ran forward, shouting, "IGNEEL! Don't you dare leave me behind, not again!" Seeing as he wasn't going to come back, he slumped down, silent, his bangs shadowing his eyes.

"Natsu? Are you ok? Natsu?" Ultear and Lisanna approached him tentatively, comforting him.

Natsu pounded the ground with his fist, startling his friends a little. Then he looked up, with his usual grin. "Well, if Igneel's gonna be like that, I'm gonna train and kick his butt when he comes back! I'll see you guys to the guild, then I'm leaving for a training trip!"

..

 **That's all for now. I don't have much to say, so see ya!**


	9. The Guild

**AN: The amount of readers kinda exploded yesterday and today, so there is** _ **no**_ **way I'm stopping now. Also, for those of you wondering about Erza, it will take a while to get there, so sit tight.**

..

 **June 17, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

The guild was near silent, discussing about the event that occurred a few hours in volumes that, hopefully, didn't reach the ears of the First Master. Just then, the wide wooden doors got kicked down by a flame-covered foot. And that foot was attached to young, pink haired boy grinning from ear to ear. Behind him stood an odd assortment of people. Well, most of them were kids.

To his left, there was a stocky white haired boy, and two siblings with the same shade of hair. One was smiling, and waved at them, while the other was cloaked, and maintained a calm, neutral expression. To his left, a raven haired woman stood, stripped, alongside two boys similarly clothed. A younger girl stood behind them, groaning with her head in her hands at her mom's state of attire.

"Yo! This is Fairy Tail, ain't it? We're joining!" The first boy shouted. "Oh yeah, let's start with introductions; I'm Natsu, the siblings are Elfman, Lis, and Mira. The stripper trio is Ur, Gray, and Lyon. The last one is Ultear!"

A petite blue haired girl stepped up. "Ummm… are you the ones First Master mentioned earlier?

"Wait, you know Mavis, Le-" Ultear stepped up and smacked him on his head, receiving a glare in return. "Ow! What the heck was that for, Ul?"

Ultear leaned in close and hissed, "We. Do. NOT. Know. Their. Names. Isn't that right, Natsu?"

Paling, he nodded quickly, before she looked back at Levy. "Sorry about that. Natsu here had a few problems, and we needed to sort them out. As for whether or not we were the ones Mavis mentioned to you, we don't know. If it was her, you'll have to ask Natsu or Lisanna, as I don't know her personally."

The guild stared, bemused, at the duo. "OI! Mavis, ya in there?" Natsu shouted, getting used to having a new Erza. The apparition appeared, but Natsu kept on looking around.

Then, Lisanna gasped. "Hey, Natsu? Remember, only people with guild marks can see her?" she whispered quietly into his ear.

Natsu stroked his chin for a few seconds, looking down slightly. After around half a minute, he looked up at the expecting faces of the guild, with a frown. "Nope, I've got no clue what you're talking about."

Lisanna sighed, smiling inwardly at her friend's never-ending childness. Good to know _some_ things never change. "Well, back to business. Can we get our guild marks? Then, we'll be able to interact with the First Master." She said, looking at the guild.

After everything was sorted out, Natsu and Lisanna smiled and waved at the apparition, while the rest gaped, wondering how this little girl had so much power.

"It seems you have arrived just like I planned. Welcome, everyone. Now, to discuss plans of our future. Macao, can you go tell Makarov that we need to speak? In private?"

A man drinking near the bar dipped his head, heading to the second floor. Soon, he emerged with an old man balding at the top of his head. "Well, I never. Come on in to my office. Everyone else, do whatever you want." Nodding his head at them, he turned around, back into his office to set up Sound Barriers.

Natsu, with his hands behind his head, went in, his newfound friends following him. "Yo, Gramps. I guess, no matter how much we turn back time, you'll always be Gramps, old man." Natsu chuckled, having entered the barrier before saying this.

"Turn back time? My boy, that will require far too much magic, more than what any normal mage, no, a whole guild, could have. Besides, messing with the past has dangers you cannot possibly imagine!" Makarov said, aghast. As soon as he said this, Natsu, Lisanna, Ultear, and, to his surprise, Mavis, laughed loudly and mirthfully. Sweat drops appeared on the rest.

"Require too much magic? Well, I've never seen Natsu run out of magic before. Plus, if it's to save his friends, he'll do even the impossible." Ultear mused.

Lisanna silently agreed, happy to be able to call herself one of his best friends.

Makarov's eyes widened at this revelation. "You-you-YOU TIME TRAVELED!? How, how is that even possible? And this boy supplied ALL the magic?!" Makarov sputtered, eyeballs popping out of their sockets.

"Yup, Natsu's a total monster if his friends are concerned", Lisanna joked, punching Natsu playfully on his shoulder and smiling at him softly. Natsu flashed his signature grin at her, then regained a serious expression as he looked back at Makarov.

"Master, I'm planning on leaving on a trip, to train and look for some… people I know." Natsu frowned, pausing. Then, a grin spread slowly across his face. "Then, when I return, I'm gonna kick some serious dragon butt. Watch out, Igneel!"

At this point, Makarov collapsed back onto his chair, a soul floating out of his mouth. 'Ghosts, time travel, and dragons. What next?'

..

 **Zeref PoV**

Several demons bowed before him, before wincing slightly at the holy power rising from the island.

A demon called Mard Geer stepped forward. " **Lord Zeref, we are yours to command."**

Zeref smiled darkly, and gave his commands. "Etherious creations of mine, I command thee; gather the rest of my creations, and bring them to me."

Opening a tome, a dark cube appeared in the sky. It was incredibly large, casting shadows on even the large tree in the middle of Tenroujima, and oozed enormous amounts of dark energy.

" **Yes, Lord Zeref"**

..

 **So, I've begun implementing four different plots. Fairy Tail, Mavis, Natsu, and Zeref's points of view. Also, I will occasionally show Mystogan and/or Igneel. However, I do NOT plan on including Edolas. Too confusing. Well, see ya!**


	10. Rosemary

**AN: Apparently, Ultear has gotten a bit more popular. She's followed by Lisanna. Third place is Kagura, and there's a tie between Mirajane and Flare. Interesting, no? Now, onto the story.**

..

 **June 18, X774**

 **Igneel PoV**

Igneel gazed around the ring of dragons, nodding in acknowledgement. Impatiently, a sleek, silver dragon spoke up. " **Igneel, what has that brat of yours done? Has all of our waiting been for naught?"** A white dragon, akin to those from Middle Eastern culture, and a black one, his form flickering within the shadows, nodded.

Another dragon, this time a feathered female, replied, " **Fools. Have you not sensed it? The antibodies we planted have successfully remained in the children. The greatest concern now is Acnologia!"**

" **Patience, Grandine. Metalicana, Skiadrum, and Weisslogia, I assure you, the children are fine, and what Grandine has said is indeed true."** The King of the Fire Dragons dipped his head as he spoke their names. " **Now, go tend to the children, and prepare them for what is to come. After that, we shall hold a council of war as to what to do about Acnologia."**

Roaring in agreement, they all took off in varying directions, while Igneel did not move. ' **Natsu…'**

…

 **? and Co. PoV**

Their village was burning. Through the flames, she stared in fright as the invaders caught the children, shackling them. Running into an alley, she ran into another that had managed to escape. The girl gasped, as she was then hidden in a crate, forcefully but gently. Her savior smiled sadly, before turning around and luring the men away. The last thing she saw was red hair before the crate was closed, leaving her crying silently in the darkness.

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

"Well, everyone. Get strong, and we'll fight when I get back, ok?" Grinning, the dragon-slayer turned around, but only managed to travel two paces when he got tackled.

"Natsu, do you really have to go? Come on, stay here!" Lisanna asked, hugging him like the day she returned from Edolas and making puppy dog eyes.

Natsu avoided looking at her, as he knew it would be impossible to refuse if he did. "Sorry, Lis. But I'll be back, and soon, I promise!" he said, clasping her hands in his own.

Lisanna blushed slightly at the warmth, before Natsu heard an ominous voice from the doors of the guild hall.

"Well, well. If you won't stop by reason, I'll just have to use force…" Ultear summoned her signature orb, grinning ominously.

His face drained of all blood, and he slowly walked backwards, only to trip on the cobbled road. "Ok, this is WAY too much like Erza… too much like Erza…" Natsu muttered, which made a tick mark appear on Ultear's head. "Waaaaa! Help me, Lisanna!"

Sweat drops appeared on the heads of the people that had come to see Natsu off. Well, at least, they _did_.

"Ok, that's it. See ya, everyone!" Lighting his feet on fire, he jumped up onto a nearby rooftop, becoming a blur of pink.

"Natsu, you come back here RIGHT NOW!"

A black blur raced after him.

Lisanna giggled as he watched him leave. 'He just can't ever do anything normally, can he? Of course, that's why I lo-'

"Lisanna? Lisanna!" Elfman shook his sister, having blushed furiously and fainted.

..

 **Natsu PoV**

"Whew, finally esca-er, left." Natsu wiped his sweat off his brow, then gazed into the clear sky.

"Ah, damn! I forgot about food!"

..

"Ok, _now_ I'm set. So, where to?" Natsu said aloud, pondering. And yes, this was a _very_ rare sight. Suddenly, he snapped back up, and ran towards the smell of the sea.

"Damn, I forgot about Erza! Oh, I am _so_ dead! Wait a minute… I'll be spared, since she doesn't remember a thing, right? Wait, no! The point is to bring that Tower down!"

Increasing his speed, he soon reached a decimated town, flames still flickering and bodies everywhere. Cursing his slowness, he sniffed the air for any survivors.

'There should be one, right? What was her name again? Ka- Kag- Oh, it's Kagura!'

Catching her scent, he followed it, and heard whimpers coming from a crate spared from the destruction in a dark alley.

Opening it slowly, he peered inside to find a small, purple-haired girl with her hands wrapped around her knees and sniffing.

In a soothing voice, he slowly coaxed her out. "Now now, don't worry. You're safe now, and I won't let anything happen to you. Hey, you want some food? Here ya go. See? I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to be your friend. Now, can you tell me what happened?"

In the future, Lucy always told him he was good with kids because he always acted like one. If that was true, then it should be twice as true now, right?

Shivering, the girl came out, and explained what happened between sobs. "I'm K-K-Kagura, and that's what happened, honest."

Noticing her shivering, he hugged the girl around his age, whispering, "Thank you, Kagura. Don't worry, I won't let that happen again. Right now, I'm gonna go and kick some serious kidnapping butt, ok? So just wait here, I'll be back, I promise." Loosening his hug, he prepared to leave.

Kagura gasped, afraid that she would lose yet another friend as soon as she found one, hugged him harder. "No! D-don't leave me alone, not again!" she cried into his chest, finding comfort in his warmth.

Chuckling slightly, he lifted her chin until they were face to face. "Ok, I won't leave you, Kagura However," he held up a finger in the air. "I still have to save the others. Will you come with me?"

Kagura nodded in response.

"Very well, then I promise to protect you with my life, Kagura. Now, hold on tight!"

Suddenly, Natsu lifted her, bridal style, and dashed towards the port with a madly blushing girl in his hands.

"We're going to rescue everyone, and go home!"

..

 **That was Kagura's intro, and the next chapter will begin the Tower of Heaven Arc, child version! Until next time!**


	11. The Bandits

**AN: Sorry, I didn't update yesterday, some stuff came up, today as well. I have put up a new poll in anticipation as to what I should do for my next story. Thanks for reading!**

..

 **June 19, X774**

 **Ultear and Co. PoV**

After Natsu had left, the girls decided to stay at Fairy Hills for the moment, and the boys were taken in by some of the older guild rest of that day was spent moving in, and resting from the trip. Even if they didn't walk, flying on a dragon was quite stressful.

Today, the girls were discussing the art of matchmaking, which Mirajane quickly picked up on. Gray and Lyon went off to train, followed by Elfman, who was shouting, "Training is MANLY!" along the way.

"So, we know about the guild relationships, but what about Natsu? Don't you two like him?" MIra asked, with a glint in her eyes as she looked at the other girls, Ur smirking next to her.

"W-what do you mean?" Lisanna stuttered, blushing madly. Then, she added defensively, "What about you, weren't you blushing when Natsu picked you up?"

Ultear was staring at the ground, refusing to look at anyone, lest anyone see that her cheeks were now a rosy color. "Y-yeah, what about you?"

At this, Ur was laughing as Mira joined the other two, caught in her own trap.

'Speaking of which, I wonder what he's doing? Probably eating, or fighting…' Ultear and Lisanna sighed, sweat droplets rolling down the back of their heads comically.

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

Natsu and Kagura were walking along, when he suddenly sneezed. Kagura glanced at him, worried. "Are you cold? You can have your clothes back, if you want."

Natsu, seeing the state of her attire earlier, which was to say, clothed in a tattered shirt, had given his vest to Kagura.

Natsu shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. Someone must be talking about me, that's all."

They continued chatting until they reached a dark forest on their way to Hargeon. Kagura hesitated, while Natsu continued, hands behind his head and whistling a tune she didn't recognize. "Um, Natsu?" Said dragonslayer turned around, grinning. "Don't worry, Kagura! I promised I'll protect you, and dragons don't break promises!"

This reassured her, so she walked beside Natsu, until they heard some shouting in the distance.

"Kagura, I'll scout it out. You be careful, and don't reveal yourself, no matter what, ok?" Without waiting for a response, Natsu dashed off, leaving a worried purplette behind. Still, she followed what he said, walking silently onwards.

..

Soon after leaving Kagura, Natsu came upon a clearing, where seven bandits were assaulting a young redhead. The girl triggered a memory, but he can't place the where. Shrugging, he decided to have some fun.

" _Fire Dragon's Fist!"_ he yelled, smashing one bandit into another, rendering the two unconscious. 'Two down, five to go' he thought, grinning. Then, he decided to use something he wanted to try since leaving the guild.

" _ **Lightning Fire Dragon Mode!"**_

 _ **Flashback**_

" _Damn, I guess I lost that mode…" Natsu groaned. A lightbulb suddenly lit up above his head, and he perked up, running towards the guild._

" _Laxus! Fight me!" Imitating what he did all those years ago (and truthfully, still does), he charged a moody blonde leaning against a pole. Lightning flashed at him, like he had hoped. Grinning like a madman, he charged at the electricity and, when he got close enough, slurped it all up. "Thanks for the meal! That was great! Now, if you'll excuse me, I got some training to do!" Leaving a silent and shocked guild behind him, he dashed off just as quickly as he had entered._

 _ **Flashback End**_

'Good thing I planned ahead, I will need it for breaking into the Tower.'

Sucking in a large breath, lightning and fire flickered around him as the bandits got over their surprise and began to rally. Reminding to hold back, as he didn't want to kill them, he released his attack, turning his head to target the ones that dodged.

" _Fire Lightning Roar!"_

The bandits flew back, unconscious, while the red haired girl stared in shock as he walked over, deactivating his mode.

"Hey, you alright?" Grinning, the pinkette helped the girl to her feet. "What's your name? I'm Natsu!"

The girl muttered something under her breath, too quiet for any normal person to hear. However, Natsu was far from normal. "So, you're Flare? I remember something about that name…" Natsu scratched his head. "Oh yeah, Kagura, you can come out now…"

Silence.

"Kagura? KAGURA?" Natsu called, panicking.

A slow chuckle came out of the woods, as a hooded man stepped out of the shadows. In one hand, he held Kagura, gagged and with tears in her eyes, and kept a knife to her throat with the other. "Heh, if you want your girl back, put these on." the man said, motioning to pair of magic-restraining cuffs.

Natsu stood there silently, his hair shadowing his eyes.

"Hey, you there brat? If you don't want her to- Agh!"

Natsu moved faster than the bandit can see, his fist burrowing deep into his stomach. Said person flew backwards, breaking multiple trees and stopping after around eighteen feet or so, barely conscious.

Natsu caught Kagura, and set her gently down onto her feet, while releasing her gag. Then, looking at the person he hit, Natsu spoke in a menacing voice that sent shivers down the spine of everyone present. "I will not lose anyone, not anymore. If you ever so much as touch- no, _look_ at my friends threateningly again, I will not hold back like I was today. And that will end in an early grave for all of you. Now, go and tell your friends, the Salamander will not be forgiving."

Without another word, he turned and walked towards Flare.

Looking at her, he returned to his normal attitude and grinned. "Ya know, you're welcome to come with me, I know a good place that'll accept anyone as family. However, we have another stop to go to first, but we'll go to Fairy Tail next, ok?"

Everyone was shocked at the sudden change in behaviour, so Flare just mutely nodded, causing Natsu's smile to grow wider.

"Well then, let's go, Kagura, Flare!"

..

 **And that's it. In case you were thinking, why was Natsu willing to kill, that was because, in the prologue, everyone, bar Ultear and Natsu, had perished, so yeah. Don't worry, he'll be normal the rest of the time.**


	12. The Rescue

**AN: So, I'm thinking Natsu might be a** _ **bit**_ **dark now. I mean, who wouldn't, if all their friends died in front of him? Anyways, thanks for taking the poll, those four people who did! Also, thanks for reading!**

..

 **June 19, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

A certain pink-haired dragonslayer walked calmly through the forest, nearing the scent of the sea. Two girls, a redhead and a purplette followed him, glancing at each other worriedly.

After a silent war to determine who had to ask, the purplette sighed and quickened her pace, matching Natsu's. "Hey, Natsu?" Said person looked at the girl beside him, indicating for her to continue "If you don't mind, what was that, back there?"

Natsu slowed down, as did the two girls. Looking them both in the eyes, he sighed, and hesitatingly began. "That was… because those people hurt others, without regard to their lives and feelings. As a dragonslayer-no, as a human, I can't accept that. And, most unforgivably, he hurt my friends." He paused, his eyes hardening, and continued, "He's lucky to have gotten away alive..."

Shocked at what he said, and how much he cared about them despite only meeting recently, the girls now had a tint of pink on their faces. Then, they also realized that Natsu basically said he had no problem with killing, and that was something that someone his age should never even think of. One question emerged in their minds. 'Just what kind of past does he have?'

Natsu sighed, sensing their confusion, and promised to tell them the full story when they get to Fairy Tail. The group soon reached Hargeon, and rented a small wooden boat by having Natsu use a bit of Transformation Magic from Mirajane in the past.

Preparing to get onto the boat, Natsu suddenly remembered one vital piece of information; his motion sickness! Reluctantly, he climbed aboard, desperately holding in vomit. The girls followed his lead, and they soon pushed off the harbor, in the direction Natsu directed them.

He managed to hold it in for one whole minute, then caved in to what he claimed to be 'the death of him'. Panicking, Flare and Kagura asked him what was wrong. The reply came between groans, "My mortal enemy… Motion sickness…"

Comically, sweat drops fell down the backs of both girls' heads.

After an hour of agony, Natsu painfully lifted his head up, sniffing the air. "We're here."

..

 **? and Co. PoV**

Though they've only been captive for less than a week, she felt as if she's been here forever. She had managed to make friends with the rest of the prisoners, regardless of whether they were from her village. One such person, a girl with cat ears and a tail, asked her in a small, quiet tone, "Hey, Erza? Do you think… are we going to stay here forever?"

Erza sighed, and a blue haired boy, her closest friend, responded for her. "Don't worry, Milliana. Someone will come for us. I guarantee it!"

An older boy with an eye patch, dressed in a sash sighed, staring out the window. "Kagura… Are you safe?" Movement caught the corner of the boy's eyes. Widening in shock, he managed to croak, "Erza, Jellal… you'll want to see this…"

The blue haired boy, Jellal, and Erza moved quickly, looking at the shore. What they saw left them in shock. Erza turned around, grinning.

"Millianna, Jellal was right. We were not forgotten."

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

Natsu had wanted to blast in there, roasting everything, but Flare and Kagura convinced him otherwise. Sighing, the children sprinted silently to the tower, and snuck in. Natsu decided to use his nose and find Erza's group first.

When they got to the cell, the group stared in shock.

They had a saviour? Shocking. What's even more shocking? Said person was a 7-year-old.

Natsu flashed his patented grin, lifting everyone's moods considerably.

"Now, you might want to stand back…" Lighting his hands on fire, he grasped the bars, effectively melting them. Stepping back, he admired his handiwork as Kagura reunited with her brother. "Now, be as quiet as possible, and follow me" he whispered to the awe-struck prisoners.

An old man, known as Grandpa Rob, silently rounded up the children, and led them out of the cell.

"Say, you can use magic, right, old man? Here you go!" Natsu grinned, and cheerfully melted Grandpa Rob's magic-restraining cuffs. "Say, can you protect everyone I free?"

Rob nodded, eliciting another smile from the rescuer, who then turned and sprinted to the next cell, melting the bars, and repeating the process.

Soon, the alarms started blaring, signifying that they had been noticed. Smirking, Natsu looked at the guards running at him in anticipation. "FINALLY! A fight!"

This was followed by a " _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_ and flaming bodies sent flying like bowling pins.

Natsu sighed at the lack of force he had to use, shrugged, and resumed his prior objective, roasting any guards he saw.

The many prisoners, Flare, and Kagura stared awe at how easily he defeated the enemies. Even Grandpa Rob, a fire mage, was impressed.

Eventually, they made their way outside and stole the boats of the jailers. This, quite obviously, brought about another bout of motion sickness for Natsu.

Erza, slightly suspicious of the too-good-to-be-true saviour, asked, "Why did you save us? We can't give you anything, you know."

Natsu smiled weakly up at the redhead, and simply replied, "Kagura asked me to."

Then, he passed out, sweat dropping from the ex-prisoners at how this kid can be so strong, yet so weak.

Kagura looked away from her brother for a moment, and looked Erza in the eye. Then, she burst out laughing, alongside Flare. "He wasn't even using his special mode, you know. Oh, and don't worry, he won't want payment, probably. All he'll do once he survives his so-called 'mortal enemy', is ask you to be his friends."

Erza frowned, deep in thought. A tap on the shoulder made her look up, into the Jellal's eyes.

"I know it sounds too good to be true, especially after what we've been through. However, he doesn't seem to hold any malice thus far, and is apparently pretty straightforward. I think we should follow him for now, ok?"

Erza nodded slowly, then began to join her other friends asking Flare and Kagura about Natsu.

..

 **Only thing here is a reminder for the poll. And don't worry, I'll start it AFTER I finish this story. So, move along, nothing to see here...**


	13. Lightning-Fire Mode

**AN: Apparently, there's a forum out there,** forum/The-Future/201998/ **, that was recommended to me, so I'm just going to put this out there. Also, thank you for reading!**

..

 **June 19, X774**

 **Ultear and Co. PoV**

The girls were bored, as they had nothing to do. They had tried joining the boys during training, but were unable to put up with the constant stripping and yells of 'MEN'. Ur had tried training them, but ended up stripping as well.

"Well… what should we do?"

Ultear sighed, for the umpteenth time that day. "Can you _stop_ asking that? You know as well as I do that no one here has an answer" she snapped at Mirajane.

Recoiling slightly, Mira whispered quietly to Lisanna.

A brown haired girl approached them soon after this exchange, introducing herself as Cana, Cana Alberona.

"Cana… I think Natsu said something about her…" Ultear muttered, when Lisanna spoke up.

"She was the daughter of Gildarts, a card mage" Lisanna hissed to Ultear. "You know, the one who used _**Fairy Glitter**_?"

Nodding slowly, the raven haired girl recalled the flashy spell that broke the MPF during the Games.

"Should we help her out with her… problem?"

The takeover mage shrugged, responding with a simple, "Why not?"

And they spent the next few days making friends and telling them about themselves, and the dragonslayer that made the flashy entrance.

..

 **Igneel and Co. PoV**

Once again assembled, the gathering of these beasts of legends were the sight of a lifetime.

Igneel, a dark red dragon nodded, and began to speak.

" **So, onto the War Council. Our allies include Mavis and her guild, Fairy Tail. Our enemies entail Acnologia and Zeref, along with his demons. Also, I recommend sending our children to Fairy Tail before we leave. My child can help, if you wish. Now, let us begin."**

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

On a boat out in the middle of the ocean, said pinkette was puking his guts out, until they neared the shore. Suddenly, a creaking sound began ominously, slowly growing louder. Just as they touched land, and Natsu jumped off the deck with newfound vigor, a silhouette burst from the lower floors, shocking the passengers.

Natsu grinned at the hostility and magic presence he emitted, slamming his fists together.

"You look like you're gonna be fun…"

With that, the two engaged their magic-enhanced modes, and clashed on the beach. They darted away from each other, then dashed forward, fighting faster than the bystanders can keep track of. After several of these, Natsu paused, flashing his grin again.

"Guess it's time to end this… _**LIghtning Fire Dragon Mode**_!"

As the rest stared in shock, the cloaked mystery man remained passive, unfazed.

Sniffing the air, Natsu's smile widened. "Fancy meeting _you_ here, Bora. Did Titan's Nose find out about your hobby yet?"

Taking a few steps back, Bora the Prominence regained his composure. This was a _kid_ , dammit!

Clapping his hands together, he yelled, "Fire Magic: Hell Prominence!"

A beam of purple fire shot at Natsu, who, much to his friends' alarm, only glanced at it, uncaring. Then, he flashed a smirk and, opening his mouth wide, began inhaling the fire. Once he had eaten it all, he grimaced. "Your fire still tastes like crap, you know." Narrowing his eyes, his voice darkened, a visible layer of hostility circling him. "It won't take much to beat you, but… you hurt my new friends… They never did anything, but you hurt them." He gathered his magic into his hands, until you were no longer able to see it due to the flames and lightning.

"For hurting the people I care about, I'll use my ultimate spell. Prepare yourself!"

" _ **Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!"**_

..

The explosion ripped through the area, decimating everything it touched. Natsu was careful to avoid hitting his friends, so he directed it sideways, into the forest. When the dust cleared, Bora was seen twitching every so often around 200 yards away. The entire beach between them had been turned to glass, and most of the trees were flattened from the force used. Natsu was panting slightly, and looked up, giving his friends a thumbs up. Then, he fainted.

Most of the former prisoners gawked at the scene of mass destruction, then at the kid that caused it.

Kagura and Flare rushed down, followed by Erza, Jellal, Simon, and Grandpa Rob. The latter quickly analyzed his condition, and reassured the others, "Don't worry, he just exhausted his magic. Honestly, if he didn't by now, I wouldn't know what to say."

Nodding in silent agreement, the others gathered the rest of the prisoners and began to prepare for the night. After thinking for a while, Kagura asked, "Can you give him some fire? I think he mentioned replenishing his magic by eating it. He'll need it, after taking out the bandits, fighting through the tower, and destroying the beach in two days."

Rob's eye twitched as she listed off what he had done at such a young age. In two days, no less! Summoning some fire, he gave it to the recently awoken pinkette, who swallowed it greedily.

Recovering immediately, he called out, "All right! I'm all fired up!" before rushing off to help with preparing the camp, leaving a very amused group behind.

..

As night fell, Natsu and the others sat around a large bonfire, courtesy of Natsu, and chatted happily.

"Hey, Natsu?" Erza queried tentatively, drawing the attention of said person, who nodded to indicate that he was listening. "Two things; first, why did you help us?"

Natsu gave his biggest smile yet, and replied simply, "I wanted to help a friend, and gain some more."

Nodding, Erza recalled that that was what Kagura said the answer would be. "Second, what's for dinner?"

Freezing, Natsu thought fast.

"Erza, you and Jellal are in charge. I'll be back in an hour. Kagura, Flare, help if necessary. I'm counting on you guys!" With a mock salute, he dashed into the forest.

..

Like he said, Natsu came back in an hour, one hand rubbing the back of his head, the other attached to a string stretched taut, into the dark forest. He had a sheepish grin.

"Sorry guys…" They started panicking, if Natsu couldn't find food, how would they? "...I think I hunted the forest empty…"

Stunned silence followed as he pulled on the string, revealing a mountain of animals he caught.

Jellal started laughing, and it soon spread across the rest of the group.

Natsu sighed, looking into the starry skies after they went to sleep.

'Man, friends sure are fun…'

..

 **So, yeah, I added Bora, since they said he was kicked out of Titan's Nose 10 years before they first met due to dabbling in the slave trade. This happened to coincide with the year, I think, so I thought, "Why not?"**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	14. Zancrow

**AN: Thank you for reading! Nothing else to say, so here goes nothing!**

..

 **June 20, X774**

 **? PoV**

High in the sky, a large airship thrummed softly as the engine moved it onwards. A blonde boy rushed in, kneeling before a shadowed figure.

"My lord Hades, there has been two recent surges of magic; an unidentified source in a desert, and large amounts of fire magic half a day's walk from Hargeon."

Frowning, Hades pondered the courses of action. "Hmmm… Very well. Zancrow, I will leave the fire magic user to you. Try to recruit him, if possible. Kain, go to the desert. Same orders as Zancrow."

Nodding, a pudgy man and aforementioned boy marched out, each grabbing a Teleport Lacrima.

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

Morning came earlier than Kagura would have liked. Hearing sounds of grunting nearby, she spared a glance at the others before looking for the source. Erza and Jellal were snuggled up together, Milliana was muttering 'kitties', and her brother appeared to be having a nightmare. "Kagura… Kagura, where are you?... Be… safe…"

Leaning down to soothe her brother, she held his hand until his expression turned peaceful.

During this exchange, she saw the others, even Grandpa Rob, sleeping calmly, but she couldn't find Natsu. And, damn, that grunting was getting on her nerves!

Getting up once more, she headed into the woods to search for the source.

After a while, she came into a clearing, wincing slightly at the sudden sunlight as she peered inside. What she saw shocked her, and made her face turn dark, dark red.

Natsu was doing his early morning workout, and had taken his shirt off to prevent it from getting sweaty. Suddenly, a piercing scream filled the air, shocking him from his reminiscing of Happy. Glancing around, he saw a glint of purple.

"Yo!" The pinkette grinned, walking over.

"Wh-wha… What are you doing?" Kagura stammered, averting her gaze.

Natsu picked up his shirt, responded with a matter-of-fact tone. "My morning exercise, of course. What else? Now, let's head back."

..

When they got back, most of the others had awoken, packing up their few possessions.

"So, everyone ready to go? Let's go to Fairy Ta-"

The dragonslayer was interrupted by a large explosion, and a young blonde emerging from the woods, cackling dementedly.

"Well, well, well. Zancrow, I was wondering when you would show yourself." Natsu stated calmly, despite the large wall of black flames around Kagura, Natsu, and Zancrow. "However, you shouldn't have put my friend in danger, even if I was low on magic."

Zancrow grinned cockily despite the dark tone that the pinkette had gained at the end. "What are you gonna do about it, shortie?"

A large tick mark appeared on Natsu's head. Losing his calm demeanor, he shouted back, "You're as short as me, dumbass! Now, are we gonna fight, or what?"

Seeing no response, Natsu gently pushed Kagura behind him protectively, who was still confused at the sudden turn of events.

Grinning wickedly, the Godslayer dashed forward, lighting his fists with black fire.

" **Fire God's Kagutsuchi**!"

" **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame**!"

The two shot off their respective attacks, but, unlike the first time, the attacks canceled each other out. Both smiled even wider at finding another with which they can compete with.

" **Fire God's Scythe**!"

" **Fire Dragon's Wing Attack**!"

The exchange repeated itself, each attack nullifying its respective counterpart. Slowly, Natsu's consecutive battles began to catch up with him, and he faltered, panting.

Sensing victory, Zancrow used his last spell. " **Fire God's Supper**!"

Kagura gasped in horror as Natsu was engulfed in black flames, unmoving. Zancrow laughed aloud, thinking victory was in his hands. Natsu just stood there as his magic reserves ran out. Then, smirking, he pulled the same trick as he did before, consuming the black flames via empty magic reserves. Smirking, he chanted the name of his spell calmly.

" **Dragon God's Brilliant Flame** "

Zancrow's eyes widened in shock as the mixture of orange and black raced towards him, obliterating the surroundings and knocking him out. On the brink of unconsciousness, he muttered out his shock of being beaten.

"Well, damn."

..

Bora had woken up to the shouting of a bunch of brats running around a circle of dark flames. He struggled to his feet, ready to run away, a giant explosion knocked him back onto his back. Amazed at the magical power oozing off of the one who had beaten him, he decided to play it safe, feigning unconsciousness.

..

Erza and Jellal gazed at Natsu in amazement, alongside the rest of the group. Rob shook his head, unbelieving of the boy who used impossible amounts of magic for someone his age, time and time again, as if it were nothing. Natsu, followed closely by Kagura, emerged from the dust grinning. As if nothing happened, he asked them, "So, now that that's over with, ready to go to Fairy Tail?"

..

The rest of the day was spent walking to Hargeon, turning in their two captives, and riding the train to Magnolia, at which Natsu panicked.

"Noooo! I won't get on that death trap! Nooooooooooo!"

Clawing at the ground as Kagura and Flare dragged him onto the train, everyone sweatdropped at his reaction while the rest of the people in the station chuckled.

After getting him on the train, they quickly saw why he acted like that; he had the _worst_ motion sickness they had ever seen. Kagura sighed, and bonked him on the head, causing him to collapse onto her lap.

His last thoughts before his consciousness faded were, 'Damn, another Erza…"

..

Let's just say, his reaction to leaving the train was a bit… drastic.

..

Fairy Tail was having another normal, chaotic day, when the guild doors were kicked down by a flaming foot.

"I'M BAAACK!"

Immediately, Ultear disappeared, reappearing in front of Natsu and shaking him by his collar. "Do _not_ leave like that again, you hear me?"

His eyes turned into spirals as his soul flew out of his mouth, which Ultear stuffed back in, while the rest of the guild looked on in amusement. Then, they noticed the large group of children behind the pinkette, the majority of which were fidgeting nervously. Kagura, otherwise dubbed "Erza 3.0" by a certain dragonslayer,stepped forward alongside Erza, and introduced everyone.

"... and so, we would like to join this guild, Fairy Tail, as a friend of Natsu. May we?"

Master Makarov nodded sagely. "Everyone is welcome in our family. However, I do not wish to pressure anyone who doesn't want to. Those people will receive money and some supplies, after which they can leave."

After this, all but around 15 people left, pursuing their dreams, ideals, and such. They consisted of the future Oracion Seis, Grandpa Rob, Jellal, Erza, Kagura, Simon, Flare, and Yukino, who had been captured with her sister Sorano.

"Well then, welcome to Fairy Tail, our family. Now, Natsu, I think some of the guild wants an explanation…" Makarov laughed at the outburst of questions following this statement.

Natsu sighed, shaking his head. This was going to be a long day…

..

 **Yay, everyone's back, Grimoire Heart is introduced, and soon the other slayers as well. Thanks for reading, everyone!**


	15. Dragons and Dragonslayers

**Since I really don't have anything much to say, I'll just post some of the better stories I found on FF. Today's is a pretty famous one,** _Pink and Black Goes Well Together_ **, by shinji01ikari. Now, onto the story.**

..

 **June 25, X774**

 **Zancrow PoV**

The blonde paced around his cell, grinning as he thought back to his fight with the fellow flame user. Despite the pink hair, he was pretty strong. Now, when was Master Hades going to break him out?

Sighing, he tried to flare his magic, knowing that it was futile. Leaning on his bed, he wondered if they got any new members in his absence…

..

 **Wendy and Co. PoV**

The tiny bluenette sat in the clearing with several boys around her age, with a blank look on her face. Thinking back to earlier that day, she recalled her conversation with Grandeeney…

 _Flashback_

A white, feathery dragon lowered her head to a sleeping form on the ground, gently nudging the person awake. Wendy slowly got up, yawning as she rubbed her eyes.

"Yes, Grandeeney? What's wrong? You look worried."

Sighing, Grandeeney waited until the young girl completely woke up patiently.

"Little one, I am planning on going on a… trip. It is very important, so I must go. I have arra-"

She was interrupted by Wendy. "Y-you're leaving? Why? Are you coming back?" The bluenette's eyes swam with tears as her lower lips quivered.

Slightly warmed by how much the girl cared for her, the dragon replied soothingly. "Do not worry. I promise I'll be back. In the meantime, I've gotten some friends of mine to take care of you. Will you be a good girl for them, Wendy?"

Seeing her nod, Grandeeney motioned for her to climb atop her.

Soon they were in the skies, and Grandeeney suddenly recalled another piece of information. "There are three other dragonslayers in your situation. Rogue, Gajeel, and Sting. The one that will pick you up is a pink-haired idiot called Natsu. Remember those names."

Her description of their caretaker didn't help with Wendy's nerves. She stared ahead apprehensively, wondering who she will meet.

 _Flashback End_

She sighed, wondering when their caretaker will arrive, and what kind of hair is pink.

..

 **Natsu PoV**

A certain dragonslayer sneezed, pausing in his dash through the forest. Gazing into the sky as the birds chirped, he thought about his last encounter with Igneel. And no, he was not going to have a flashback, as he needed to hurry.

To summarize, Natsu was building a rather large house, as Kagura, Flare, Ultear, and Lis insisted on living with him. And with Lis, came Mira and Elfman. Same goes for Ultear; she brought in Ur, Gray, and Lyon. So, he had to make the biggest house anyone had ever seen, until Igneel dropped by. He told Natsu to go to the mountains, along with some other directions, and that he had to be there by the end of the day.

However, It was already midday, so he dashed off after informing the others. Also, he made a mental note to tell his friends about the time-travel when he got back.

And so, here he was, running full speed for an unknown destination, and praying that he got the directions right.

Before he knew it, he burst into a clearing, and some very familiar scents bombarded his nose.

"Wendy! Gajeel! Rogue! Sting!"

Said dragonslayers looked up at the new person, eyes automatically drawn to his pink hair.

As if he could read their thoughts, he roared, "It's not pink! It's SALMON!"

Chuckling, he filled them in on what he knew, minus the time-skip. He'll tell them with his other friends.

"... so I think that they may have left to fight Acnologia, or something like that. Anyways, ready to go?"

The others simply sat there, dumbfounded. He chided himself. Even if he was an idiot, his mind was still older than thei- wait. Did he just call himself an idiot?

Shrugging, he grinned, and turned around. "I'll tell you guys as we move. Ready to go?"

Nodding mutely, the others followed.

..

As night was falling, Natsu laid out four sleeping bags and lit a fire. Motioning for them to sleep, he sat by the fire, occasionally spewing a few flames to keep it going.

"Ummm… Natsu-san?" Wendy called out timidly. Natsu walked over and knelt down. "Yes, Wendy?"

"What about you? Where will you sleep, Natsu-san?" Wendy asked worriedly. After all, she always slept in the comfort of Grandeeney, let alone without a pillow of some sort.

Chuckling, Natsu settled himself onto a more comfortable position before answering. "Don't worry about me, Wendy. I have a lot to think about, so I probably won't sleep anyways. Thanks for caring, though" he replied softly, which was in amazing contrast to the behaviour she and the others saw throughout the day. "Now, want a story before you go to sleep?"

Blushing slightly and hiding her face slightly under the covers, she nodded.

Flashing his patented smile, he began a story in which a mage traveled across the world, protecting his family no matter what happened. Be it another guild, a dragon, or a mystic weapon. Slowly, blissful sleep overtook the young bluenette, as she closed her eyes peacefully.

..

Seeing her go to sleep, he felt a familiar warmth in his chest as he looked at her sister figure. Recalling what happened to her and everyone else, he vowed to protect them, forever.

He thought back to more recent events, grinning. Not long after they arrived at Fairy Tail, Jellal had asked him for advice on how to approach Erza. Natsu had recommended giving her cake. Strawberry ones, to be exact. Then, he told Master what magics he thought would work best for everyone, including Levy and Cana. Afterwards came the house-building, which confused him when everyone decided to move in with him. Yes, EVERYONE. The people he mentioned before were the ones that asked first. However, more and more began to join, until everyone was promised a room at his house.

Damn, now he needed to build an apartment complex. What _is_ that, anyways?

Laughing to himself, he nodded off where he sat, grateful that his friends were back.

..

 **Mavis and Co. PoV**

Mavis floated through Makarov's office contentedly, before phasing through the wall and seeing the guild she had made and loved, in all its glory.

In other words, a full-out brawl.

'I wonder who Natsu will bring back this time…'

Grinning inwardly, she deactivated her thought projection, making it fizzle out of sight.

..

 **Two things to say; First, I will be refer to Erza's group as the ToH group, except in dialogue. Second, this story will** _ **not**_ **be NaWen; their relationship is strictly as siblings, got it? Well then, thanks for reading!**


	16. New Additions and Enemies

**AN: Today's suggestion is** _Legend of a Pink-Haired Deon_ **, by Kript. Also, I need OCs for the antagonists, 'cuz I don't wanna bash anyone.**

..

 **June 26, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

For the third time that month, the guild doors were blown down by a flaming foot. Makarov sighed. This was getting old.

"So? Who did you bring back this time, Natsu?" Ultear asked sweetly yet with a murderous aura. When Natsu left, Ultear was out training with Ur, and was thus unaware when he explained his situation.

Natsu was sweating, knowing he was in trouble. "Not just Erza 2.0, but Mira 2.0 too?" was all that came to mind.

Ultear froze. The murderous aura doubled, then died down. She smiled dangerously, and dragged him off by his scarf, Natsu panicking all the way.

The other dragonslayers sweatdropped at how their caretaker was being treated, before Gajeel, the oldest out of the four, cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the guild.

Seeing as Gajeel had no clue what to say, Wendy tentatively stepped forward, her face beet red as she stared at her feet. "Ummm… Natsu-san is taking care of us while our parents are gone. He said Fairy Tail was a good place, so we'll be staying here for now. Is that ok?"

Suddenly, Makarov and a few of the older members bursted out laughing.

"That boy has brought back so many children, he might as well make his own guild!" Makarov cried, hands on his stomach as he tried to contain his mirth. "Of course you could join, little ones. Everyone is welcome in Fairy Tail!"

Bowing in thanks, the four left, sniffing for their temporary guardian as they left.

Meanwhile, Natsu was being dragged through town by a VERY pissed-off Ultear. Eventually, they got to where Natsu was setting up their house, where Ultear stopped, dropped him on the ground, and poked him repeatedly on the chest. "Next time, I AM coming with you, like it or not. Got it?"

Trembling like a leaf, the pinkette nodded silently.

And that was how the dragonslayers found the two, Natsu shivering and Ultear with a victorious smile on her visage.

After a week, the house was done, and the four were commonly seen in Fairy Tail, though usually with Natsu or Ultear, whom they had learned to trust. After that, everyone else started to go on missions, and the dragonslayers joined as well. Curiously, Natsu never heard news of Deliora, even as two months passed.

..

 **August 30, X774**

 **Zeref PoV**

The raven-haired immortal walked along the sandy beach, gazing into the horizon. 9 beams of black light flashed down from the sky, fizzling out slowly and revealing the same number of figures bowing before him.

Unalarmed, Zeref turned towards them and spoke in a soft, cold voice, no louder than a whisper. "So? Have you assembled your brethren?"

Nodding, the demons opened their arms, revealing several run-down, battered books, at which Zeref smirked.

"Now that everything is in motion, how shall you respond, Natsu, Mavis? Can you finally end my 400 years of agony?"

Mard Geer stepped forward worriedly, confused. "Master? 400 years of agony? What do you-"

Zeref snapped his fingers, unsealing all the demons bound in his books, and causing the rest to freeze with a glazed expression on their faces. "You will head to Fiore and forget the past two months. You will form a dark guild, and search for me. Now go."

With that, Zeref gave a final, grim smile before darkness consumed them all.

..

 **Natsu PoV**

The pink-haired dragonslayer was out on a solo mission, to snoop around a dark guild. He grinned inwardly. Like hell he was going to leave it alone! The moment he found them, he was gonna have some fun.

Smashing his fists together, he dashed from his client's office, sniffing the air. Got one!

..

Smashing in the doors with much more ferocity than he did in Fairy Tail, he took a moment to observe the well-lit guild hall. Eyes followed him as he walked in, disbelieving of the idiocy of the pink-haired man before them.

Observing them carefully, the dragonslayer grinned. "Now, who's gonna go first? I don't mind taking you all on at once, if you like."

With a furious roar, the bandits rose and ran at him as one.

Sighing once more-he seemed to be really tired today. Maybe due to the trains?-he lit his fists on fire and assumed a fighting stance. Sweeping his arms in a circular motion, he gathered his magic power, and declared a spell. " **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame**!"

The attack's devastating firepower knocked everyone else out, bar a cloaked man sitting at a table.

Natsu gazed impassively at the man, waiting for them to move. The enigma stood up, rolling his shoulders. He lifted the hood, revealing another face Natsu recognized; "Jiemma?!"

..

Jiemma stared curiously at the pinkette before him, gathering his magic. "I don't know how you know my name, kid, and I don't mind you attacking my guild. If they lost, that was because they were weak; however, I will defeat you, because I am strong."

Natsu crossed his arms, pouting. "So you're still spouting that crap, eh?" He grinned fiercely. "Meh, that works for me!"

Natsu dashed forwards, clashing with Jiemma and destroying several chairs. Despite the difference in size, the child and the giant man both jumped back, getting ready for another attack. Grinning, Natsu activated his lightning-fire mode, while Jiemma stared in shock.

'Impossible… how is this brat so… powerful?'

..

Panting slightly, the pinkette gazed around the smoldering embers of what was Sabertooth. Then, he thought of something else; if Jiemma is here, then Minerva… might not be a sicko yet!

Dashing into the forest, he smelled another scent that resembled Jiemma's. That must be her!

Smiling, he followed his nose.

Soon, he came across a small purplette crying out in a clearing, her clothes in tatters. Natsu knelt down next to her, putting his coat across her shoulders. The girl looked up, sniffing and with a curious look. "Who are you?"

The pinkette grinned cheerfully before responding, "I'm Natsu! You're Minerva, right?"

Nodding, she cautiously asked, "Did Jiemma send you here?"

Natsu sighed again, glancing up into the sky. It was getting dark. "Err… I beat him up, and came here?"

Minerva stared at the boy with a deadpan face. He was around her age, it was impossible! "Show me."

Wait, can she actually think that her father, such a strong person, can be defeated?

The dragonslayer grinned, picking her up.

"Alright, let's go!"

..

 **Darn, I can't believe I added Minerva… Totally** _ **not**_ **in my plans… Oh well. Thanks for reading!**


	17. Minerva

**AN: In order for some new opinions, I'm gonna post up some notices in Naruto and SAO, as well as FT. Today's recommendation is** _A Third Chance_ **by SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan. Enjoy!**

..

 **August 30, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

As the pinkette walked through the forest, following the scent of smoldering embers. A purplette followed him, glaring daggers at him occasionally. Honestly, girls are gonna be the death of him… Except Lis. Lis was nice.

Strolling through the woods, his thoughts drifted to the past two months…

After he brought the dragonslayers back, he spent a few weeks constructing the house. After that, Ultear insisted on them taking a mission together. When they got back, Sorano had tracked down and brought back her sister, Yukino. Then, the two decided to tell everyone about the time-travel. At first, they were disbelieving, but after Makarov had backed them up, along with some well-chosen secrets revealed. Such as the 13th key, Cana's father, and Edolas. Speaking of which, where was Mystogan, anyways?

Anyways, after their initial shock, they were more determined than ever to train. Well, most of them. Some decided to gloom in a corner somewhere, some decided to ignore it, and some decided to eat a LOT of cake. Namely, Erza.

The dragonslayer snapped out of his thoughts as they came upon the dying fires, and was met with Minerva's gasp as she ran over.

'Man, I got a lot of explaining to do…'

..

 **Mystogan PoV**

After finding absolutely _no_ leads on his magic sources, he decided to focus instead on other things.

First, the growth of Fairy Tail. Deciding not to expose himself yet, he remained in the shadows… for now.

Second, the movements of the Magic Council, along with some dark guilds.

Finally, the sudden disappearances of numerous demons throughout the continent, including Deliora.

Rubbing his temples in exasperation, he decided it was about time for another info-gathering trip.

..

 **Natsu PoV**

Damn, he had finally convinced Ultear to go on a mission alone, and now he was going to bring another kid home. What the crap was with his luck, and why didn't he think this through?

Trudging back to town after convincing Minerva to come with him, he tried to start some small talk.

"Sooo… what do you want to do?"

"..."

"Wanna join my guild?"

"... Is it… strong?"

Natsu sighed, defeated. "Yes, it is." Is everything that's going to come out of her mouth going to be about strength?

"Then… maybe."

"That's it, I give up. If you want to talk, _you_ start, got it?"

"..."

..

Some things never change. One of those things is Natsu Dragneel. Specifically, his obliviousness, love for battle, and loyalty. Also, his tendency to kick down doors.

As such, the doors flew down once more, blown in by a flaming foot. Minerva just gaped in shock, while the guild just grumbled in annoyance.

"Yo! I brought someone back with me! Again…" The last part was no more than a whisper, but the guild already knew what he said…

"You BRAT!" Makarov's giant hand came smashing down, avoiding Minerva and making a small Natsu-shaped hole in the floor. "At this rate, the guild will need another building! No, a small town!"

Groaning, Natsu climbed out of the hole and began trembling and bowing down repeatedly. "I'm sorry, Gramps! I'm sorry, just _please_ don't tell Ultear!"

Sweat dropping, the Master sighed. "Fine, just… warn us before doing that… again…"

"Again?" Minerva glanced questioningly between the two. "Just how many came before me?"

Natsu started counting on his fingers, muttering, "One, two, three, four… twenty-four?"

At this, the guild started ranting and yelling.

"We know they're in trouble, but just HOW do you meet all of them at the right time?!"

"Since when did seven-year-olds travel around that much, anyways?"

"And all of this was in TWO MONTHS! How does that even happen?!"

Sighing, Makarov raised a hand, silencing everyone. A dark aura began radiating from behind Natsu, chilling him to the bone. Trembling, he slowly turned around, and began bowing down once he saw who it was.

"Ultear, I'm sorry, this time, I _really_ didn't mean to do it! The client didn't even mention the guild was Sabertooth!"

Minerva wondered what the two's relationship was, as Ultear fist came down on Natsu, making another hole in the wooden flooring. "Idiot! They probably were going to, you just ran off without listening!"

Natsu slowly clambered out once more, rubbing his chin in thought. 'You know, maybe she's right. I do recall running off… '

For unknown reasons, tick marks cropped up on Ultear's forehead as she stormed off with Natsu in tow.

Minerva shrugged, and turned to the old man Natsu referred to as 'Gramps'. "So… is this place strong?" Seeing a slight nod, she smirked. "Well then, I would like to join."

..

 **Igneel and Co. PoV**

The dragons looked through the magical beasts they had gathered. In preparation for the oncoming war, each dragon had searched for wyverns of their respective attributes. Now, two months worth of hard work stood before them, earning a grim smile from Igneel.

" **This… With this, we are prepared to aid our children in any means necessary, be it demons or Alvarez"**

The other dragons nodded solemnly, before Grandeeney spoke up. " **Speaking of which, it seems they are doing well… We can only hope that they will remain so, at least until the upcoming war."**

Dipping their heads in agreement, the dragons began to fly off, in search of rumors of Acnologia. Igneel hung back, signaling Metalicana and Grandeeney to do so as well. " **Though things have been faring well, I can't help but feel… nervous. Have either of you seen any demons recently?"**

Shaking his head, the Iron Dragon proposed, " **Why don't we give our children some new spells? Since we have implemented the antivirus successfully, we need not worry about them ending up like Acnologia."**

The Sky Dragon agreed, nodding her head. Igneel looked at the two in amazement; they hardly ever agreed! Then again, when it comes to the safety of their little ones, they probably will…

" **Alright, it is agreed; we give our children the Sacred Arts. However, be careful not to show yourself…"**

The trio muttered agreement, then flew off to join Skiadrum and Weisslogia in their searches.

..

 **That's it for now, and yes, the 'Sacred Arts' are original. Therefore, I need ideas, if anyone would be so kind so as to PM me. Thank you for reading!**


	18. Zero

**AN: So, like I said, I added a Naruto document on another 'story' for a different viewpoint. Anyhow, today's recommendation is** _Fairy Tail: The Cold Side of The Flame_ **, by HeartlessAngel96. Enjoy!**

..

 **September 1, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

The pinkette groaned as he rubbed his aching head. As durable as he is, being dragged around for three hours still hurt. Slowly, he clambered out of his hammock, and left his room quietly. Most everyone got their own room when he built the house, and he was no exception, but he still preferred the hammock. Grinning silently, he made his way outside, and dashed through the town.

It was still five in the morning, but the dragonslayer still maintained a silence hardly ever used by him. Since around a month ago, he had come across an orphanage, and had made friends with several of the children there. Since then, he's been paying weekly visits, much to the chagrin of both parties.

Unknown to him, a cloaked figure watched Natsu silently, from the roof of a building. The enigma smirked menacingly, then faded away into the morning mist.

..

"Natsu! Natsu is here!"

One of the children who woke up first saw the pinkette grinning widely. They then proceeded to shake the others and yell excitedly until they were all awake, smiling at Natsu. Said dragonslayer put a finger to his lips, pointing to the sleeping volunteer with his other hand. Nodding silently, the children, around 7 or so, continued doing their daily activities, inviting the older boy to join.

He gladly accepted the offer, and played with them for a few hours, remaining silent until the caretaker awoke.

Suddenly, Natsu froze, sniffing the air with a look of caution. "Wait. Someone's here."

"Hmmm... I didn't realize that nose of yours was quite so accurate, Salamander." A figure stepped out through the door. "Then again, with all those enemies you've made, you must be quite vigilant to have survived this long, eh? Sabertooth, Zeref's worshippers, and oh, so many more."

Narrowing his eyes, the dragonslayer shepherded the other children behind him. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The figure lifted his hood, revealing silver hair and red eyes. "I am Zero. I am seeking suitable… seals for my power. From the rumors… you seem compatible enough." He paused, stroking his chin in thought. Then, he grinned maliciously, saying, "However, rumors are rumors. Allow me to test your strength."

After making sure the children were at a safe distance, he turned around, smirking. Punching his flaming fists together, he yelled, "I'm all fired up!"

Both assumed fighting stances, observing the opponent. True to his nature, Natsu attacked first.

'Last time I beat him, I had to use Dragon Force, and that was _still_ a close call! Gotta be careful!'

Cocking back his fist, he roared, " **Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow**!", sending them both through the door.

" **Dark Capriccio**!"

Beams of black magic shot out at Natsu, dispersing the dust cloud. Instead of dodging or deflecting the attack, like Zero expected, Natsu charged straight through it. " **Fire Dragon's Sword Horn**!"

Much to Zero's shock, the attacks were nullified when they collided. 'Even if that was one of my weaker spells… how the heck is this brat able to block it?'

Smirking, Natsu stepped out of the dust. "Come on, man! I know you're strong, so give me all you got!"

A tick mark popped up on Zero's normally calm face, while sweat drops appeared on the orphans' heads. 'Just what are you trying to do?'

Growling, Zero thrust a hand forwards, calling out, " **Dark Gravity**!" The cobbled street caved in, cracks spreading out from the pressure. However, Natsu remained standing as if nothing had happened. Then, he smirked, laughing at Zero's confounded expression. "Listen, Kagura and Bluenote's Gravity magic were so much more badass than this!"

The silver-haired man's face contorted in fury, as the dragonslayer had apparently drawn the last straw. "You want death, boy? Then prepare to die! **Genesis Ze** \- Ugh…"

The last part was due to a positively livid shadow looming up behind Zero and chopping him at the neck, effectively knocking him out. Also effectively scaring the living daylight out of Natsu. "Ul-Ultear-chan?"

A white-haired girl and a smaller bluenette stood behind her. "Wendy? Lis? What are you all doing here?"

"N-natsu-san… I smelled something bad when I came into town today, so I brought Lisanna-san and Ultear-san with me… The other dragonslayers are on a mission" Wendy stepped forward slowly, trembling at the darkness of the magic Zero was about to set off.

"Hey, Wendy, its ok now. If anything, Ultear is scarier, right?" Natsu bent down and comforted the little girl. "Now, go and play with the other kids, 'k?" Stepping up, he watched as Wendy made her way over to the orphans, making sure she didn't fall. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned over to 'Erza 2.0' and 'Mira 2.0', as he liked to call them.

"So, Na-tsu-kun." Ultear smiled demonically, promising doom. "Mind telling us why YOU WERE ABOUT TO TAKE ON THE MASTER OF A DARK GUILD!?"

Shuffling his feet, he mumbled, "Well… it ain't the first one…"

"WHAT!?"

'Oh, man. I am SO dead…'

..

 **Igneel PoV**

High in the sky, one of the smallest fire wyverns he had found flew back to the waiting Fire Dragon King.

" **Well, what is the current status of my child?"** he asked the small scout.

Said scout leaned in and whispered the news he had gathered from Magnolia over the past few days. Igneel roared in laughter, " **Oh, it's just like that brat to get into this much trouble! Perhaps it is time to give him the Sacred Arts?"** Pondering on this for a few minutes, he then motioned another wyvern forwards.

" **Go, inform the others that it is time."**

As the flying lizard flew off, Igneel decided to return to his conversation with the immortal.

" **Mavis, your guild truly has done wonders to my little one, indeed."**

The thought projection nodded in agreement, "And he has changed us."

Chuckling, they resumed their discussion of a cooperative warfront against Alvarez and the demons.

..

 **So, once again, please check out the polls! And thank you for reading!**


	19. New Spells

**AN: First, I'm gonna start titling each chapter. Second, I'm sorry that someone feels that my story is boring and Ultear is OOC, I have a few reasons for that. First, I feel Natsu won't be Natsu without someone to keep him in check. Next, Erza won't act like she did, because the only reason she did that last time was because of Jellal's betrayal. Therefore, I just chose a character that I felt was similar, and gave her that position. Lastly, I think Ultear would feel more familiar with Natsu, thus allowing her to act naturally. It will change soon, I'm sorry you think my story is boring. Oh yeah, today's recommendation is** _The Fire Dragon Prince_ **, by angryhenry. Thanks for reading!**

..

 **September 1, X774**

 **Mard Geer and Co. PoV**

In an unknown area within Fiore, several weathered books fell down from a black magic circle in the sky. The instant the books touched the ground, a black dome enveloped each of them individually. Most of these were around the size of an adult human, but several were the size of children, while others easily dwarfed the trees of the forest they appeared in. After a few minutes, the black substance receded into the earth, leaving beings that would strike terror into most humans;

The demons of Zeref have been unleashed.

 **..**

 **Gray and Co. PoV**

The young raven-haired boy walked out of the train station with his companions, Lyon and Ur. Luckily for them, they had not stripped… yet.

Laughing, Gray dashed through the streets of Clover Town, Lyon close behind.

"Come on, Ur! I wanna see how much stronger I've gotten, so I can beat that Flame Prick!" Gray yelled at his mother figure, who was walking behind them with a warm smile on her face.

"Fine, fine. Let's go finish the mission first, then we'll spar, ok?"

Nodding their agreement, the Ice Make mages sped up, heading towards the client.

..

 **Gajeel and Co. PoV**

The Iron Dragonslayer groaned as Rogue pestered his new idol with questions as the two walked through Hargeon.

"Wow, so you eat metal? What's your favorite spell? Which one is the most destructive?"

Sting chuckled at his best friend's antics as he walked alongside them, then frowned as his thoughts drifted to _his_ idol. 'Damn, Natsu-san is so powerful! How can we beat the dragons if _he_ couldn't? Then again, maybe he'll teach us!'

Enough was enough. Gajeel, grumbling, turned to look at Rogue. "Look, kid. Can you _at least_ leave me alone until the mission is over?"

As Rogue nodded happily, Sting thought, 'but you're a kid too…'

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

Natsu and the others had went back to the guild hall after saying goodbye to the orphans, thus resulting in the first time the guild doors had been kicked down this month. Natsu had to spend half an hour yelling that he in fact did _not_ want to let Zero, who was still unconscious and being dragged by Natsu, join the guild, but send him to jail.

After that was done and over with, Makarov spoke up. "Natsu, Wendy, you have some mail sent here earlier today. Gajeel has one too, but he isn't here. The letters seem… unique…"

He then handed the two their respective letters, after explaining that neither seemed to be openable except to the two. Natsu's had a red seal with a dragon curling around a flame, whereas Wendy's had a blue seal with a feather floating atop a hurricane.

Natsu cheered, shouting, "Awesome, thanks Gramps!", and rushed to open his. He was careful to keep the seal safe, since it looked _awesome_.

Wendy bowed her thanks to the master, and carefully opened her own letter.

Instantly, their faces lit up as they realized it was from Igneel and Grandeeney, respectively. Then, Natsu's face scrunched up in confusion. "Wait… Igneel can write?" Shrugging it off as magic, he continued reading.

Once they finished, they carefully put it in their pockets, and cheered. Well, Natsu did, anyways. Grinning, he dragged Wendy off to a training ground, yelling, "Sweet! New spells!", along the way.

The guild, having watched the exchange out of curiosity of the mysterious letters, wondered what kind of spells could get a powerhouse like Natsu so riled up. Then, they remembered _any_ new magic made him like that. Sweat-dropping at this realization, they sighed and resumed their respective tasks.

Mira and Elfman approached Lis, asking, "Hey, Lisanna. Do you want to go on a mission together? It's been forever…"

Smiling brightly, Lisanna nodded assent, and the three TakeOver mages grabbed a mission and headed for the train station.

Meanwhile, Ultear went off to the house, wondering how she wanted to train this week.

..

 **Igneel and Co. PoV**

Once again in another meeting, this time called for by Skiadrum and Weisslogia, Igneel settled in a comfortable position as he waited for the discussion to begin.

Skiadrum was the first one to speak, not at all happy. " **Igneel, why have you decided to give them the Sacred Arts? We should have waited until Sting and Rogue have at least grown old enough for the Sacred Arts!"**

Weisslogia joined in, snarling, " **Indeed, we remain unable to give them these spells, and while this remains so, the others will have left them behind!"**

Metalicana was the one who responded. Calmly, he replied, " **Then why don't you give them other spells? After all, Unison Raids of Lost Magic are on par with the Sacred Arts, are they not? Not to mention, they have already proven themselves quite proficient at it, as it is."**

This made them think. Indeed, what Metalicana said was true…

" **Very well… let us give them the scroll for Unison Raids…"** Weisslogia muttered, Skiadrum nodding in agreement. The other dragons dipped their heads in assent, and the meeting was over. Dispersing, Igneel chuckled at not even having to say anything. Grandeeney too, for that matter…

'Now, can you draw out the true potential of the Sacred Arts, Natsu?'

..

 **Sorry, this chapter was a bit short. In case you haven't noticed, this was a filler chapter, and if I continued, it would be around another 500 words. So, yeah… Thanks for reading, and I apologize if anyone finds it boring…**


	20. Growing Strong

**AN: Once again, sorry if anyone thinks its boring, but I'll try to balance it out now… Today's story is** _The Fraternity_ **by ShesTheBoss19. Thanks for reading!**

..

 **September 2, X774**

 **Levy and Co. PoV**

When the dragonslayers were brought in by Natsu, Levy quickly made friends with them, Wendy and Gajeel in particular. She wasn't sure _why_ she had gotten close to Gajeel, seeing as, unlike Wendy being another shy bluenette, they had very few things in common. Regardless, she had sought to become stronger, for recognition.

Though she had made great progress over the past two months, she was still nowhere close to the dragonslayers, Natsu in particular. Therefore, she had resolved to take a few decryption missions, and this was the seventh one. Of course, she had no problem convincing her team to come with her.

"Ehhh… So _these_ are the ruins we need to check out?" mused Levy, ignoring Jet and Droy brawling behind her. Whipping out reading her reading glasses and a flashlight, she entered the ruins with her teammates in tow. "Interesting… These ruins are far older than any other I've heard about… This is a national treasure!"

Proceeding onwards, she went down floor after floor, the air growing dustier and staler. "Wow, so this is the main room! Amazing, I can't wait!" Grinning widely, she entered it, not noticing the practically invisible purple barrier.

Jet and Droy, bickering as they followed her, crashed into the barrier. "OW! What the heck was that?" Jumping back back to their feet, they ran at the barrier, crashed, and repeat. After five or so minutes, they sighed, and sat down praying for Levy's safety.

Unaware of this, the bluenette strolled onwards, entranced by the green glow in the center of the room.

Approaching the glow, she saw the origin of the light was a dusty, ancient book. Opening it, she realized it was a magic grimoire. Pocketing it, she dashed out, Jet and Droy joining her.

Maybe _this_ was what she needs to grow stronger…

..

 **Cana PoV**

Sighing, Cana rubbed her forehead. First, the new kids guessed her secret, then tell her they're from the future, and then show absurd strength. Groaning, she walked over to Gildarts, currently in one of his rare visits in the guild. Should she say it? Can't hurt, as the others already know…

"Hey, Gildarts? Can I talk to you? Alone?"

Nodding, the ginger-haired Crash mage followed the young brunette behind the guild, unaware that the biggest surprise of his life was about to be revealed.

Cana sighed, gathering her nerves. 'Man, this is going to take a while…'

..

Turning around, Cana cleared her throat. "Sooo… Did you know, Cornelia had a daughter?"

Gildarts froze, realizing the full implications of this being brought up by this girl. "Are.. you saying… you're Cornelia's-no, _my_ daughter?"

Nodding silently, Cana tentatively awaited his answer. She was not disappointed, as the girl was swept up in Gildarts's arms in a warm embrace. "I have a daughter! I have a daughter!"

Grinning widely, the duo walked back to the guild.

The next few weeks, Gildarts surprised the guild by staying, and teaching Cana some Crash and Disassembly magic, which Cana picked up surprisingly fast.

..

 **Mystogan PoV**

"Well, damn. Seems the demons are organized in their movements, and Alvarez is mobilizing its army… I must inform Natsu, and become stronger…" muttered Mystogan, strolling through the forest in which the demons had been in not a week ago. Sighing, he headed to Magnolia, deciding that it was around time he introduced himself to the guild. Maybe he should pick up some actual magic along the way…

..

 **Ultear and Co. PoV**

Ur, Ultear, Gray, and Lyon had returned to the log cabin where Natsu and Ultear had first found them. Fortunately, she never picked up on Ur's stripping habit. Unfortunately for Ultear, the rest did.

Covering her eyes with one hand, she listened as Ur taught them Ice Make magic. Due to her prior kidnapping, her proficiency at the magic was at the level of Gray and Lyon's currently. As far as she knew, there was no one else than Master Hades who could help her in the Lost Arc of Time. Therefore, this was the best way to get stronger, to fight alongside Natsu.

" **Ice Make: Rosen Krone**!"

" **Ice Make: Cannon**!"

" **Ice Make: Eagle**!"

Ur stood silently to the side, observing their skill. Nodding in approval, she decided upon which training regiments to give each of them individually. Despite being aloof in her daily life, she took training quite seriously.

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

The two dragonslayers were working on their new spells, recalling the warning that came along with it.

 _Flashback_

 _Dear Natsu/Wendy,_

 _Within these scrolls are extremely potent and dangerous spells, to be used only in emergencies, or against the demons. With this in mind, be careful to enlarge your magic reserves and strengthen you body, as these will be taxing both physically and magically. The name of these spells are the Sacred Arts. Use them wisely, my child._

 _Flashback End_

With this in mind, they had trained, Natsu continuously since yesterday, with Wendy taking short breaks occasionally.

..

 **Zancrow PoV**

The blonde sighed in his cell, having given up all hope of being rescued. 'Damnit, has Grimoire Heart really abandoned me?'

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the prison, revealing Master Hades and an unknown person stepping into the hall. Zancrow shot up, smiling wickedly. "Awesome, Master Hades! Ermmm… If you don't mind my asking why did it take so long to get here?"

Sweat droplets started dripping down his face as Hades, despite his calm demeanor, panicked and sought for an excuse. 'Damn, I can't tell him I forgot about him when I got this new member… Oh yeah, this new member!'

"Well, Zancrow, I was training Ace here, and decided that I should allow him to break you out, for experience."

Ace stepped forward, bowing. "Hello, Zancrow. I am an Explosion mage, and I look forwards to working with you. Now, shall we get back to the guild?"

Smirking, Zancrow stepped out of his cell, joining the duo as Master Hades activated a Teleportation Lacrima.

"Natsu Dragneel… I can't wait until we meet again!"

..

 **As requested, I tried implementing less Natsu and more plot. Starting now, I'll start rotating MCs through each chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	21. Knowledge is Magic

**AN: Today's recommended story is** _Last Chance_ **, by Jerrend. Also, please take the poll! This chapter is mostly on Levy. Thanks for reading, and, once again, I apologize if this is unsatisfactory…**

..

 **September 2, X774**

 **Levy and Co. PoV**

Since it was getting dark when they had emerged from the ruins, Team Shadow Gear had decided to stay in town overnight yesterday. Instead of sleeping, Levy had stayed up late, reading the tome she had discovered before.

Yawning, Levy picked up the book and packed it in her bag, before joining the rest of her team as they ate breakfast outside. Heading to the client after half an hour, she pulled out the book once more, ignoring the boys' arguing.

After receiving the reward, they got on the train, during which Jet and Droy eventually stopped fighting.

"Hey, Levy. What's that book you're reading?"

"Did you get it from a shop?"

"What's it about?"

Sighing, she did her best to shut out the noise. She was halfway done when she remembered, 'Oh yeah, my gale-force reading glasses!'

Whipping out the glasses, she was nearly done, but decided to reread it just in case. In her exhaustion last night, she might've missed something…

As she flipped through, a note slipped onto the ground.

' _Dear Reader, if you're reading this, it means you are compatible with this magic, Trait Magic. Otherwise, you would be unable to have passed through the barrier. This book will teach you how to use it, so use it wisely. Best of luck!'_

Grinning, she decided to test it out. She winced as Jet and Droy got particularly loud, when an idea struck her. Using her light pen, she quickly scribbled runes in between her and the two boys.

" **Trait Magic: Silent**!"

The squabble had quieted, but only slightly. 'Perhaps its most compatible with inanimate objects?'

Resolving to test it out when they got back, she wondered how effective it could be combined with her Word Magic.

"Oh yeah… Deactivate."

Meanwhile, unaware of the magic, her teammates continued to bicker.

..

As the train pulled back into Magnolia, Levy stretched and, sighing in relief, rushed off to practice her new magic. As the trio informed Master of their completed mission, Levy's thoughts drifted to a certain dragonslayer. "Ummm… Master, is Gajeel back yet?"

Seeing Makarov shake his head, Levy sighed, before rushing back out of the guild. "Well then, see you all later. I'm going to go train, if you don't mind!"

..

As she ran towards the forest, panting, she had an idea. Pointing toward her legs, she called out, " **Trait Magic: Haste**!" Speeding up slightly, she frowned at the little effect it had.

"Deactivate!" Pointing to her shoes, she tried again. " **Trait Magic: Haste!** "

The difference was easily conceivable, as the effects were twice as powerful.

Soon, she reached a clearing near her residence, the house Natsu had built. Deactivating her magic, she reviewed the effects of her magic.

'First, Trait Magic can't affect anything too drastically. Second, it won't turn off until I turn it off, or I run out of magic. Next, it seems to be more effective on inanimate objects… Does it work on magic-based objects, though?'

" **Solid Script: Iron**! **Trait Magic: Light**!"

Picking up the block of metal she had just made, she was shocked to learn that she hardly had to put any effort into lifting it. 'Wow, this is amazing!'

Smiling contentedly, she decided on a training regiment. She would cast her trait magic on something random every day, and sustain it while practicing her word magic. This way, her proficiency in both increases, and she can still hide her second magic until later, since it didn't have a range limit.

'This is going to be marvelous!'

..

 **? PoV**

Observing the starry emptiness of the Celestial Realm, an unknown man with orange hair and tinted sunglasses stood beside the Celestial Spirit King. "Well, my King? Aquarius has been getting impatient, and the rest of us have been waiting for a while as well."

" **Very well, Loke. You may do as you wish. However, none of you are allowed to interact with the Heartfilia's, bar Aquarius. At Lucy's mental age, and current isolation, too much power can be… poisonous…** "

Nodding in consent, Loke vanished in a flash of golden light, reappearing before his twelve companions.

Aquarius, a mermaid, was the first to talk. "Well? Are we allowed to do as we wish?"

Holding his hand up, the leader of the twelve Zodiacs responded, "Now that Capricorn has broken free, and our keys have found our way to Fairy Tail, we can. However, he wishes us to refrain from contact with Lucy, for certain reasons. Except Aquarius, of course. I trust you won't do anything too drastic?"

Seeing all the nods of assent, the others teleported to Fiore, leaving Aquarius and Loke.

"I assume you have something to ask, Aquarius?", the Lion Zodiac asked.

"And I assume you have something to say, Loke.", the Water Bearer retorted.

"Touche. Anyhow, you must understand that too much power could easily corrupt someone, especially at that age. You are free to tell her whatever you wish, even bring her to Fairy Tail if needed. His Majesty believes you will choose the best choices." Grinning, he followed his fellow spirits before Aquarius could respond.

Grumbling, she followed suit.

..

 **Natsu and Wendy PoV**

During one of Wendy's breaks, Natsu decided to approach her. "Hey, Wendy. Do you mind if I leave for a bit? I just remembered something…" Seeing her nod, he sprinted off, following the scents of Happy and what he thinks is Carla.

This is going to be great! I wonder if they'll remember, if they aren't even born yet…"

..

 **Hooray! I finished a story with most of it** _ **not**_ **on Natsu! Well, actually, I wasn't planning on adding him at all, but I figured the Exceeds should come in soon. Thanks for reading!**


	22. Darkness Rising

**AN: In case some people didn't notice yet, several things are going to be different from canon. I have no idea why you wouldn't realize that, but I just want to throw that out there. Today's story is** _Smoldering Ember_ **by DomYang.**

..

 **September 3, X774**

 **Zancrow PoV**

After that jailbreak, which had the idiotic Council in a riot, Zancrow had spent yesterday getting reacquainted with Grimoire Heart. In other words, he pestered everyone for ways to get stronger. At the end of the day, he was approached by the Master, who had suggested looking in the library.

Groaning, the blonde dragged his feet as he approached one of his less than favorable pastimes. Flipping open the book, he began breezing through the book, until he reached a page that caught his attention.

There was a black and white illustration of someone appearing to have lit up his hands with a black fire, waving it around. It was titled, _God Slayer Secrets and Abilities_. Smirking, he thought, 'Natsu, eh? Next time we meet, I'll crush you!'

..

 **Jiemma PoV**

Wincing as he rose, the giant man looked around at his guild, Sabertooth. Or rather, what was left of it. How many days had passed, why it had happened, he did not care. All he sought was revenge. Muttering darkly, he walked to town, slowly but steadily. "Natsu Dragneel… You truly are powerful. However, you will wish you had killed me when you had the chance…"

Grimacing, he picked up the pace. The sooner he healed, the sooner he can gain power. The more power he has, the sooner he can get his revenge.

..

 **Zeref and Co. PoV**

The young-looking man gazed around at the mages he had assembled. All of them had boundless potential, and powerful magics.

His gaze was drawn to a green haired girl, with similarly colored eyes. "Brandish, was it?"

"Yes, Lord… " Brandish hesitated. She was new to the country, and didn't know his name as of yet.

"It's Zeref. Anyways, I have a mission for you." He smirked as her eyes widened. "You infiltrate a magic guild in Fiore, by the name of Fairy Tail. Keep an eye on my brother, Natsu Dragneel."

"Yes, Lord Zeref." Bowing, she left the room.

He then motioned to Irene. "Irene, gather my followers. Tell them to come to me."

The older woman then did what Brandish had done, leaving nine among them. "Now, August, I expect you to train these, and train them well. Wall, keep an eye on the Etherious. Jacob, go see if God Serena has any interest of joining. After that, keep tabs on the council."

Bowing, the nine mages left their king's presence, after which he began to think aloud. "Now, Mavis, how will you respond? Will you try to turn Brandish against me? Not that it matters, I have so many other pawns. I have to wonder, though, how will this end?… "

..

 **? PoV**

A middle-aged man with light blue hair strolled through an unfamiliar area, with scorched earth and no signs of life as far as the eye can see. " **It is good to attain human form again, I really must thank Igneel's brat… I wonder what kind of face Igneel would have if I attacked them earlier than they planned. Then again, I need to restore my power, after being sucked through the time-jump, and not being completely dragon…** "

Shrugging, the man casually strolled towards the rising sun, and towards Fiore.

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

Suddenly, Natsu sneezed. And again, and again. Four times total. Fumbling to secure his grip on the Exceed eggs, he sighed in relief.

Muttering to himself, "What the heck, I thought I don't get sick", he resumed his walk, excited that his best friend was about to come back.

Reaching his destination, he quickly hid the rather large eggs behind a bush, before calling out to his friend. "Hey, Wendy! Come see what I found! Our future buddies, Happy and Carla!"

Wendy sprinted over quite happily, as she recalled the tales Natsu had told her of the two.

Smiling brightly, she held up Carla's egg, bringing it back to the house.

Chuckling, Natsu did the same, occasionally helping her if her grip ever loosened.

'Now, why did I sneeze… Oh well.'

..

 **Gajeel and Co. PoV**

The Iron dragonslayer stopped right before the guild doors, freezing. His two companions, Sting and Rogue, looked at him questioningly. "What's wrong, Gajeel?"

Looking at the blonde boy, he replied simply, "I feel like I'm missing out on something. I get the general feeling it's something about… cats?"

The usually silent Rogue spoke up. "I, too, have that strange feeling. What about you, Sting?"

Nodding, the blonde put his hand to his chin. "I wonder what it is…"

Shrugging, the trio entered the guild to report their completed mission.

Meanwhile, a girl named Milliana shivered in excitement, causing Kagura to look at her, confused.

Back at the guild, there was a huge brawl, which was amazing, considering Natsu's absence. Erza and Mira were having a stare-off, Cana was taking a (destructive) piggyback ride on Gildarts, and Makarov was holding up fistfuls of people, trying to stop the brawl and weeping at the loss of money.

When the trio opened the doors, they grinned at the sight, and prepared to dive in. Fortunately, Makarov noticed them before this happened, and yelled out to them. "You three, get over here! There's been a letter for you, and, by Natsu and Wendy's reaction, it's important."

Sting and Gajeel bashed their way through the guild, while Rogue disappeared into the shadows. The three reassembled in front of the Master, and received three letters. Gajeel's had a seal with a metallic shrapnel design, while Rogue and Sting's had a spiral of black and white intertwining within each other.

"Natsu and Wendy already got theirs, and these two," Makarov said, pointing at Sting and Rogue, "had only arrived recently."

Nodding in appreciation, the dragonslayers started tracking down the pinkette and bluenette as they ripped open their letters.

..

 **Yeah, this had some short scenes, but I had some new characters to introduce. Congrats if you can guess who the ? was! Also, I NEED OCs! Thanks for reading!**


	23. Espionage and Drunkards

**AN: I need OCs, I repeat: I NEED OCs! And yes, they're going to be the antagonist-turn-protagonist characters. You know, typical Fairy Tail people. Also, yes, August will be developed. Today's story is** _A Father's Legacy_ **, by Kyrios28Veile. Thanks for reading!**

..

 **September 4, X774**

 **Cana and Co. PoV**

Panting, Cana rose to her feet once more, surprising the ginger haired man. Gildarts had been training her out in the forest, or what used to be a forest. The trees around them were sliced and diced every which way, after two days of training.

Tentatively, Gildarts reached out, concerned at his daughter's state. "Hey, you alright? Isn't this a bit… much?"

Shaking her head, she beamed back at her father, who she feared would reject her, but instead gleefully accepted her. "No, not at all. Besides, who knows where you'll go if I leave you alone?"

Laughing loudly, Gildarts took another swig of the alcohol he usually kept with him, perking the brunette's interest.

"Dad, what is that thing you're always drinking? Smells funky." Wrinkling her nose at the last part, she watched in mild amusement as her father panicked, clearly not wanting to answer her.

Rubbing his head and hiding the drink in his cloak, he smiled weakly. "Ermmm… Cana, this is… a drink to…" Pausing, he struggled for an answer. "A-anyways, let's improve your Crash magic, shall we? First, gather your magic like this, and…"

Cana smirked at her father's obvious discomfort, and listened carefully to his explanation. After all, just how cool was using the same magic as Fairy Tail's Ace?

This continued for several hours, with Cana trying to throw Gildarts off balance and ask about the mystery drink, and him avoiding the topic.

..

 **Brandish PoV**

The green-haired girl had just arrived in Magnolia, after taking a Teleportation Lacrima to a city in Fiore, and riding a train to the Fairies' hometown.

Getting off the train, she started thinking aloud. "I wonder what His Majesty's brother is like… Natsu Dragneel, was it?"

Weaving her way to Fairy Tail, she knocked on the doors, and peered through the window when she remained unanswered for a few minutes.

Eyes widening, she took in what was considered a 'relatively small brawl' in Fairy Tail. In other words, though the furniture remained on the ground, human bodies were a different matter.

She drew the gaze of a redhead -was that armor?- butting heads with a white haired girl, with a azure-haired boy standing nervously behind the redhead.

She stepped back as the doors opened, noting scorch marks in the shape of… feet? Shaking her head to clear her confusion, she greeted the redhead.

"Hello, my name is Brandish. I would like to join, if that's ok with you?"

Sighing, Erza cupped her hands and yelled, "MASTER! There's another member wanting to join!"

"It's ok, Erza! Let her in!" came the reply.

Nodding, the armored girl motioned for Brandish to enter, before the fight traveled out onto the street. "So, why are you joining? Don't tell me… Is it Natsu, again?"

Stunned, she processed Erza's words. "You know Natsu? And what do you mean, again?"

Sighing again, Erza motioned for her friend, the azure-haired boy, to speak, before turning to eat a cake.

Bowing, he motioned for her to take a seat. "Hello, my name is Jellal. Nice to meet you. As for your questions, yes we know Natsu, and 'again' as in, he has introduced-what was it, again? Right, twenty-two people to this guild. In two months, apparently."

At this, the green haired girl's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! Twenty-two, in two months?"

Nodding sagely, he said, "Oh, I forgot. Most of it was in the first month, he hardly did anything in the second."

At this, the girl's eyes turned into spirals, as her soul slowly drifted out of her mouth. Shaking her head suddenly, her eyes regained focus. Jellal blinked; that was the first time anyone had recovered from their soul leaving by themselves!

"Well? Did he tell you to join, as well?"

Shaking her head slowly, she responded, "Nah, I just heard of him and wanted to check out the guild. See if I can join, you know?"

Nodding, the boy smiled mentally. "Well, what do you know him from? Defeating an entire cult? Is it the destruction of several dozen dark guilds? Slave-trades being stopped? Which one?"

At this, she was overloaded, and passed out.

Her thoughts were, 'Wow, Zeref-sama's brother is really impressive…'

..

 **Mavis PoV**

A Thought Projection floated silently on the second floor, watching the conversation silently.

'Hmmm… Zeref, you've sent an interesting spy. This girl is really pure… If we can remove that one wish for revenge, she'll be another great addition to the guild. Natsu, even people you haven't met are being affected by you, you really are a beacon of hope…'

Giggling at the girl's reaction to the conversation, she floated down. She needn't worry about being spotted, for two reasons. First, Brandish was unconscious. Second, she didn't have the guild mark, so she can't see her anyways. Hopefully, that will change soon.

Gazing out the window, she spoke softly, "Now, Zeref. When can I see you again?"

Sighing, she slowly shimmered out of sight, but not before telling some guild members to carry the green haired girl to a bed.

..

 **Cana and Co. PoV**

"YES! Victory!"

Cheering contentedly, the brunette 'whoop'ed into the night sky. Did she win against Gildarts? Not quite… Instead she had discovered that the mystery drink was, in fact, alcohol. Now all she had to do was find out what alcohol was, and whether it tasted good.

Meanwhile, Gildarts stared up into the stars, bringing his hands together in prayer. "Forgive me, Cornelia… Our daughter has learned of alcohol at too young an age…"

Soon, they walked to Natsu's house, chuckling at the day's events. Fortunately, Natsu had made a room removing all magical power, just in case. Now that Gildarts was settling down, he needed a place to stay, where he didn't destroy everything within a mile whenever he lost focus. Laughing at the thought, he brought his daughter onto his shoulders, his stroll turning into a sprint.

Squealing in delight, Cana clasped her father's head, dozing off.

Yet another typical day in Fairy Tail.

..

 **Yay! Nothing else to say, move along, move along…**


	24. Demons

**AN: The OCs can be anyone, from anywhere, for anything (reasonable), so please tell me your ideas. Today's story is** _The Flame of Life_ **, by James Merlaut. Sorry, I was busy the day before, so I didn't get to upload a new chapter.**

..

 **September 5, X774**

 **Ultear and Co. PoV**

" **Ice Make: Rosen Krone**!"

Ultear sighed, as a garden of frozen flowers spread out from her magic circle. Chiding herself, "Not fast enough", she took a glance at her surroundings, and her fellow trainees.

For the better part of four days, they had been training up on this frozen mountain harsh enough to make most humans freeze to death. Gray and Lyon, albeit novices at magic, had been able to adapt quickly, even stripping in the snow.

Subconsciously, of course.

However, Ultear couldn't help but shiver, teeth chattering, after their strenuous training. Lately, she has been growing better, slowly but steadily.

Suddenly, Gray shot up and shouted, "Lyon! Let's fight!"

Sighing, Ultear watched in mild amusement while channeling her own magic silently, so as not to waste time. For the seventh time today, the duo assumed fighting positions, and started brawling, without their magics.

'Hmmm… The old Gray would never do this… Ah, it's probably due to Ur's 'death'.'

..

Said woman was cooking at their log cabin, humming happily. 'Me, Gray, Lyon, and Ultear. It's just like a family vacation!'

..

Ultear sighed, watching the two seemingly endless bundles of fighting spirit, noting how similar they were to Natsu. 'In my old timeline, would my kids be like this…?'

Distracted with her fantasy of her own family, she absentmindedly flared her magic, instantly freezing Lyon and Gray.

"Oh no! Hold on, I'll melt it down, I'm SO sorry!" Rushing forwards, she activated her Time Magic and sped up the thawing process, releasing the two strippers to gasp for breath.

"H-hey, Ultear…" Gray said weakly, still on his knees.

"Yes, Gray?"

"You're so… scary…" With that he collapsed, leaving an infuriated Ultear with Lyon.

The latter started panicking, shaking him. "Hey, man. Don't leave me here alone, after you _just_ said that!"

Looking fearfully at Ultear, whose hair was floating ominously, eyes glinting red, he ran back to the cabin. "Noooooooo!"

"COME BACK HERE, YOU!"

..

After listening to what happened, Ur took one glance at Ultear's livid expression, and burst out laughing. "So, who did you think was going to be your husband, Ultear?"

Blushing madly, the Time Mage looked down, refusing to speak, her anger instantly forgotten.

This reaction piqued Ur's interest. She _was_ going to leave it alone if Ultear brushed it off, but…

Smirking, she pressed further. "Oh, so you _do_ have someone in mind! Who is it?"

This received the same response as before. During this conversation, Lyon was thinking hard.

'I _know_ I forgot something… What was it, what _was_ it?'

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his head.

"Hey, where's Gray?"

..

Aforementioned mage was currently buried under twelve feet of snow. Due to Ur's training, he wasn't affected by the cold so much as the pressure.

'Damn it, Lyon! You ditched me!'

Wriggling, he tried to worm his way out of the ice, or at least alert the others of where he was. He froze when a cracking sound started coming from below him. The noise grew louder and louder, until a large hole opened beneath him, emptying him and all twelve feet of snow into the darkness.

..

"Owowowow…"

Rubbing his head, Gray found himself in a large, dark cavern. "Where am I?"

Sensing a waft of familiar magic, he narrowed his eyes and followed it. Soon, he came across a large demon in a seemingly comatose state, demonic energy flowing from him in waves.

Roaring, Gray activated one of the newest spells he learned. " **Ice Make: Excalibur**! Deliora, you will die today!"

Oblivious, the demon did not respond to his challenge, not even his existence.

Yelling, Gray swung his sword with all his might, not noticing the demonic energy slowly fusing with it. The instant the blade touched the demon's skin, Deliora's eyes snapped open and roared, before disappearing in a flash of purple light.

Blasted away from the sudden rise in demonic pressure, Gray hit his head on a rock and lost consciousness.

..

 **Mard Geer and Co. PoV**

Bowing before a shadowed figure sitting on a throne, the demon Sayla reported, "Master Mard Geer, the seal we placed on Deliora has been released. This was confirmed by Jackal and Tempester."

"However, he has not been let loose. It appears that that arrogant demon got himself sealed once more, this time into the body of a child, Gray Fullbuster." Kyoka added in, kneeling.

Rubbing his chin, Mard Geer motioned for another demon to step forwards. "Keyes, cast your necromancy, and resurrect Silver Fullbuster. Being a Devil Slayer, he is probably the cause of this."

Nodding, the skeletal-faced demon raised his staff, a khakkhara, and slowly a body rose from his magic circle. opening its eyes, Silver Fullbuster grimaced. "Ah, Necromancy. Such a foul magic."

Chuckling, Mard Geer responded, "And to us demons, humanity's very existence is foul, so we're equal, for now." He paused, narrowing his eyes. when he spoke again, his voice was cold and hard. "Now, tell us about the sealing link you placed between your son and Deliora."

Sighing, Silver sat down. "Since I don't have a choice, I might as well start. However I have one question; why are you so concerned with Deliora's sealing, when it was you who sealed him, and all other rebellious demons away in the first place."

Waving his hand, Mard snapped, "That is none of your concern. Now, tell us."

Sighing once more, the ex-devil slayer began to tell the story.

After all, dead men tell no lies.

..

 **Ultear and Co. PoV**

As they returned from searching for Gray unsuccessfully, Ur, Ultear, and Lyon sat at the table in silence. Suddenly, someone knocked at the door, and stopped just as abruptly as they started. Rushing to the door, they found Gray, unconscious, lying on the snow.

Narrowing her eyes, Ultear made out a figure retreating into the blizzard, blue hair poking out from his cap.

Assuming Mystogan didn't wish to be revealed yet, she helped Ur and Lyon carry Gray inside. Soon, Gray opened his eyes, much to their relief. Except for Ultear, who froze in shock.

Leaning over, she whispered to Ur, "Mom, I need to speak with him. Alone."

The mage looked at her quizzically, but nodded once she saw how serious Ultear was. Coraling Lyon out of the room, she shut the door, leaving Ultear and Gray alone.

The two raven-haired children waited for the other to speak, both nervous to talk.. Taking a deep breath, Ultear started.

"Gray, you've seen Deliora, haven't you."

Even if it was only for a second, she would never forget the moment the demon was released, when she, acting as Zalty, completed the Moon Drip Ritual.

Nodding mutely, Gray observed his magic. His ice was now purple, and a lot colder. Some new spell names came to his head, but none he recognized. ' **Ice Devil's Rage**? What the heck is that?'

Rubbing her forehead, she started analyzing his magic, like she had back when she pretended to be part of the Magic Council.

"Gray… Deliora's been sealed in you…"

..

 **YAY! This was longer than my prior chapters, hooray! Nothing else to say here, so… yeah…**


	25. Atlas Flame and OCs

**AN: Yay, 10,000 views! Thanks for reading this, everyone! Today's story is** _Dragneel, A Fairy No More_ **, by digemsmack. Also, Some of the kids are going to** _ **act their age**_ **, unlike certain individuals.**

..

 **September 6, X774**

 **Flare PoV**

Flare, after settling in at Fairy Tail, had decided to pay her old town a visit. After taking a train to the nearest station, she walked for a few hours, finally arriving at Sun Village at noon.

Arriving at the town, she was instantly noticed by her foster family.

" **Flare! You're back! Was your trip fun?"**

Gazing up at her 20-feet-tall friends, she smiled, nodding happily. "Yeah! I met a nice guy called Natsu, and met a bunch of friends!"

Laughing, one of the giants picked the redhead up and placed her onto his shoulder. Squealing, she cheered as they headed to the center of town. " **Come, the Eternal Flame has something else to give you."**

At this Flare perked up. After all, her last gift was her Hair Magic, something she cherished every day. "What is it? Tell me, tell me!"

Chuckling, the giants came to a stop in front of a giant flame blazing brightly. A resounding voice came from the fire, filled with warmth. " **Flare, come here. I need to tell you something, before I become dormant once more."**

Nodding, the little girl stepped forward, and the giants dispersed.

" **You know Natsu, yes?"** Seeing her nod, he resumed. " **He's the adopted child of my old friend, Igneel. In a few years, he's going to get into… what do you humans call it? Really deep shit, was it? The point is, there's going to be trouble, lot's of it. Do you wish to help him?"**

Flare nodded instantly, not sparing a second thought. "Yes, let me help! Natsu's my first friend, and I wanna help him out however I can!"

Chuckling at her enthusiasm, the fiery figure continued. " **Very well, here's my gift to you: it's not as rare as your primary magic, but it's still pretty powerful. It's called Fire Make Magic, and most of it is of the Dynamic variety, not Static. Use it well, little one."**

Doing her victory dance, she cheered. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Laughing, a lightbulb went off in the flame's mind. " **Oh yeah, tell him that I'm the dragon that goes by the name of Atlas Flame. I'm sure he'll remember me…"**

Promising Atlas Flame to do just that, she left to talk with her foster family and test her new magic.

..

 **September 10, X774**

A few days after, she bid farewell to her giant friends and returned home to Fairy Tail. She got back at noon once again, and instantly started searching for Natsu.

Rushing into the guild, panting, she began calling for him. "Natsu! Where's Natsu?"

Drunk at the bar, Makarov called out, "What's wrong, Flare? What do you need Natsu for, and where were you the past few days?"

Taking a deep breath, she blurted, "I-went-back-to-my-village-and-got-new-magic-and-I-met-a-dragon-with-a-message-for-Natsu!"

"..."

"..."

"EH?!"

..

 **Jiemma and Co. PoV**

Currently, the large man was glaring at the two orphans he had met while seeking more power. Over the past two months, he had been training Yami Usagi and Kuri Hidou, whose magics were Celestial and Shadow Make respectively. While Celestial Magic was powerful, there wasn't all that many ways to improve it, whereas the diversity of Shadow Make was spectacular.

"Do ten more laps, then we'll start your magic training. If you want to do anything, power is essential. Power is the difference between people, and how they are classified." Jiemma roared, once again on a rant on how power was everything.

Meanwhile, the panting forms of the two young children trembled at the man's fury. From what they of him since they met him was this. A few months ago, someone beat him badly, and his daughter left him. That person used Fire Magic, and was around their age, surprisingly.

After that, he refused to go any further into detail, and worked them to within an inch of death, brooding on power and revenge.

"Hey, Yami, you okay?"

Said girl looked at the white-haired boy. Sighing, she whispered back, "Honestly, I'd be a lot better if _that_ person, whoever he was, finished Jiemma off before, Kuri."

Nodding silently, they sat silently as Jiemma finished his rant.

..

 **Zancrow PoV**

" **Unholy Fire God's Bellow**!"

An extraordinary blast of black fire blasted through countless training dummies, melting the rest through pure heat. Grinning evilly, the blonde stared at the scene with satisfaction.

"Heh, that idiot pinkie won't know what hit him!"

Smirking, Hades put his hand on Zancrow's shoulder. "Well done, Zancrow. To improve this much so quickly, you will become truly strong. Even better, you've inspired the others as well. Kain, Rustyrose, and even the new member, Mikoto, have doubled their training too!"

Thanking Master Hades for the praise, the God Slayer ran out to look for Azuma, seeking a spar.

Chuckling darkly, the former Second Master at Fairy Tail began plotting Zeref's resurrection.

'If Zancrow infiltrates the Oracion Seis, perhaps I can get them to try resurrecting him as well. Tartaros is already on it, and soon the R-System will be too, when I send out Mikoto…'

Strolling out of the practice room, he snapped his fingers, making the room repair itself.

..

 **Erza and Co. PoV**

Fairy Tail's resident order-enforcer was currently dragging her best friend, Jellal Fernandez, across Magnolia's cobbled streets in search of strawberry cake.

"H-hey, Erza… I already-ow!-I already have cake, so if you'll just stop…"

Halting abruptly, Erza froze. "Oh no! I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was hurting you. Please punish me."

Sweat dropping at his friend(/crush)'s actions he hissed, "Stop that, Erza! People are staring at me… Anyways, here's the cake!"

Erza squeezed Jellal in a bear hug, before taking the cake and eating it quickly. "Thank you, Jellal! And I really _am_ sorry about that…" She stared down at her feet sheepishly, blushing for some reason.

Sweat dropping again, he told her it was ok, thinking, 'Man, Natsu's advice really helped… I gotta thank him later…'

"Say, wanna go visit Natsu, Erza?"

Tilting her head, she shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

And so, both her, Jellal, and Flare headed for Natsu's, and their own, home.

..

 **Yes, there are OCs in here. Yami and Kuri are from Whiskeysnake, and Mikoto is my own. Sorry, Whiskeysnake, I tweaked their magics a bit… Thanks for reading!**


	26. Accursed

**AN: So, I got some more OC ideas, as well as a few ideas for a new arc. By 'a few', I mean two thousand words. Lol. Credit goes to Ranty Tail and his buddies!**

..

 **September 10, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

A total of seven days had passed since Natsu had went to retrieve the Exceed eggs. Currently, he was sitting cross-legged in his bedroom, staring at the egg. Sighing, he wondered if he should have asked for Lisanna's help again.

Getting to his feet, he went headed to the door, wanting to check how she was doing. As soon as he touched the doorknob, the door burst open.

Jellal, Erza, Mira, Lis, Elfman, and a green-haired girl he didn't know rushed into his room.

"Natsu! This girl said she came here looking for you. Her name's Brandish!" Jellal told him, panting. Carrying the girl, even with Elfman's help, halfway through Magnolia and deep into the forest was no easy feet. "She woke up when we reached the house…"

Scratching the back of his head, Natsu thought hard. "Ermmm… Do I know you Brandish?"

Deciding that being timid was best at the moment, she replied shyly, "I don't think so, Natsu-san. However, I've heard of you… a lot…"

"Oh, well, that's fine." Natsu paused, sniffing the air. His eyes narrowed. "We'll have a talk later, if that's fine with you."

Nodding, she silently cursed her bad luck. A dragonslayer's nose was incredibly sensitive, if Zeref was truly his brother, he must know His Majesty's scent.

Smiling, he nodded and started chatting with his friends, surprised that Lis had found a Dragon Soul on an A-Class quest earlier.

After a while, there was another person, this time knocking on the door.

Upon opening it, he was pleasantly surprised to find Wendy, carrying her Exceed egg.

"Natsu-san, the egg won't hatch… how did you do it before?"

Chuckling, he led her into the room, and brought out his own egg. "I asked Lis, of course! Lis, can you help us with these?"

Eyes sparkling, the youngest Strauss sibling accepted them happily, thinking back on the days when she and Natsu had raised Happy.

Peering through the open door, Flare was shocked to find such a large gathering.

"U-um… Natsu-san, can I come in?"

Laughing loudly, he motioned for her to enter. "With so many people here, I don't think size will be a factor you can change by much!"

"A-anyways, I have two things to say. When I got back to my hometown, I received new magic, Fire Make Magic. Also, Atlas Flame says he sends his greetings…"  
Suddenly alert, both Natsu and Lis shot straight up. "Atlas Flame? Are you serious?" the two shouted in unison.

"Hmmm… Atlas Flame, wasn't that one of the dragons that invaded?" came the voice of a certain Time Mage.

"Eh, Ultear, when did you get in?" Natsu asked, looking around for Gray and Lyon.

Smirking, she replied, "I _walked_ in here, and if you're looking for Gray and Lyon, don't worry, they're at the guild. Oh yeah, Mira, Gray kind of needs some… training, I guess you could say?"

As said Take-Over mage left, bidding farewell, they resumed talking about the past few weeks.

Soon, Mira, Gray, and Lyon returned, joined by Levy, Cana, Kagura, and the dragonslayers.

As they entered, Natsu jumped to his feet, sniffing the air and grinning. "Hey, Mystogan, isn't it time you revealed yourself?"

Sighing, the blue-haired Jellal look-alike deactivated his Invisibility Magic. "Fine, fine. Oh, hey, my counterpart. And no, I'm not you."

This confused Jellal greatly. "If you're not me, are you my brother or something?"

Rubbing his chin, Mystogan thought hard. "Ok, let's go with that. From now on, I'm your long-lo-"  
Bonking him on the head, Natsu glared at him. "Sorry about that, Jellal. He's from another world, Edolas. There's a counterpart for every one of us there, but no magic."

Deciding that any more questions would result in more confusion, Jellal nodded silently.

The pinkette sighed. He had a lot of explaining to do. Best to avoid it. "Hey, who wants to go on a group job?"

..

After several quarrels, they had all decided to go on a job that, as Natsu recalled, seemed to be the one where Bisca joined the guild. Alzack was going to be very happy…

The same cannot be said for Natsu, who was sick throughout the entire train ride, resting on Ultear's lap as the group chatted away.

"-atsu… Natsu, time to wake up… NATSU!"

Shooting up, the dragonslayer looked around, panicking. "OUCH! Ultear, you _know_ these ears are very sensitive!"

Smirking, the Time Mage walked out of the stopped train, joining their friends outside. A grumbling pinkette soon followed. When he got out, he smiled at the Western-style town.

"Alright everyone, let's go!"

..

So far, so good. Just like before, they had managed to convince Bisca to join Fairy Tail. As it was getting dark, they decided to stay. Although keeping on a happy face, Natsu frowned internally. As he was the only one who was here and remembered last time, only he knew this did not occur in the old timeline.

'There must be another variable, what is it? Is it the number of people who came with us? No, I don't think so… So, outside interference…'

Unlike what the others thought, he was actually decently intelligent, and able to process information carefully.

Sensing a presence behind him, he came to a stop. "You guys go ahead. I've got something to check out."

Ultear stayed behind, nodding silently as their eyes met.

Natsu grinned, careful not to let their pursuer see it. Whispering, he said, "Time to try out a new spell… **Fire Dragon's Iron Jaw**!"

A fiery dragonhead erupted out of the ground, snapping shut and trapping the enigma within. There was an empty hole in it, through which they could communicate.

"Now, who are you, and what the heck do you want?" Natsu questioned, grinning ominously.

The fire revealed a gray-eyed boy with brown hair. Panicking, he blurted, "I-I'm Lee Kieroku, and I was watching your group so I might be able to join. Several of your friends, they have curses, yes? Or rather, they _had_ , so I was hoping you might remove mine?"

Exchanging glances with Ultear, Natsu dispelled the prison. "Very well, Lee. We'll see what Master can do for you when we get back. What's your curse?"

"My curse is… to wipe the memories of me from the people around me… Because of it, I've never been able to have friends. Even my parents forgot about me…"

Natsu and Ultear looked sympathetically at the boy, knowing what it's like to lose family.

"In that case, we'll be your friends, and remember you. ready to come with us? To Fairy Tail?"

Nodding happily, the trio joined their friends at the inn they had registered at.

..

 **Yay! New arc, starting now! Lee is, once again, from Ranty Tail. Thank you, Ranty Tail! Also, thank you for reading, everyone!**

 **Note: Kieroku means "Vanish" and "Memory"**


	27. Lies, Curses, and Love?

**AN: Today's story is** _Sabertooth's Rising Ace_ **, by DisasterMaster0. Also, I am considering starting another story, and alternating between these two. I'll put up a poll soon. Once again, thanks for reading!**

..

 **September 11, X774**

 **Natsu and Co.**

"Come on, Natsu! The train's going to leave without us!" Lisanna yelled, racing ahead of Natsu.

Said mage was currently being dragged, this time not by Ultear, but by Erza, as she was impatient to get her new friend, Bisca Connel, to Fairy Tail. To be fair, he also wanted to get his new friend, whats-his-name to the guild, but his motion sickness trumped all else.

Green faced, he moaned, "Hey, can't we walk back? We don't need to take the train, do we?"

Instead of replying, Ultear decided to help Erza, carrying him onto the train as the others watched silently, sweat dropping.

Lee, however, watched silently. 'It appears they haven't forgotten me yet… Good, good. I still need to get into the guild…'

Ultimately, even the stone-faced boy cast a smile as Natsu got onto the train.

..

As soon as the train stopped, a pink-haired dragonslayer burst out of the doors, screaming, "YEEESSSS! Finally, out of that death trap!"

Sighing at his antics, Ultear and Lisanna started herding the new children to the guild, the rest following in fits of laughter, or red-faced in embarrassment for being associated with the rambunctious Natsu.

"Hey, Gramps! We're back!"

Crying anime tears, Makarov envisioned the costs he would need to pay to fix the door this month. "Natsu, please, if you're going to do that every time you come back from a job, don't go on anymore!"

Natsu grinned deviously. "If that's what you want, Gramps, I guess I'll have to vent my magic _inside_ the guild…"

Shuddering, the Guild Master collapsed, his soul floating out of his mouth. The rest of the guild, Mavis in particular, burst out laughing at the exchange. Soon, they noticed the new children standing behind Erza and Natsu.

"WHAT?! You brought back _more_ kids?" the guild shouted in disbelief. Natsu stood with his chest puffed out, beaming with pride. That was, until Ultear smacked him in the back of the head.

"You're not supposed to be _proud_ of that, idiot!"

Brandish and Mavis stood silent, thoughts racing through their minds respectively.

Brandish thought, 'Is this what Jellal meant by bringing back so many people? But they don't seem too powerful, why does Natsu keep on letting them in? Do they have potential?'

Meanwhile, the ghost thought, 'The girl, I recognize. Bisca Connel, that she was. That other kid, Lee, was it? Hmmm… He resembles Zeref, in a way… Is it just because he's depressed-looking?'

Giggling, Mavis swooped down to Natsu and Ultear, motioned for them to follow her, and flew to the second floor. Though they weren't S-Class yet, Makarov allowed the duo, along with Lisanna, to go up there so as to be able to talk without being overheard.

"Hey, Natsu. That boy, Lee. Tell me, does he have a curse?"

Nodding, Natsu filled her in on the curse that the boy had described. Ultear interrupted at the end, asking, "So, can you help him? The curse… It seems very… depressing."

Shaking her head, the First Master told them, "No, it doesn't feel like he has a curse. I don't doubt he has the power to erase people's memories, but it's either intentional or through magical buildup. So, he either lied, or is misinformed of his power."

This got them worried, though none of them showed it. "Well, if it _is_ magical buildup, we better take him to Porlyusica. After that, we'll keep an eye out if it fails." Natsu declared, before jumping down to grab Lee's hand and drag him out the guild.

"Well, you better go keep an eye on your boyfriend, Ultear." Mavis chirped, giggling.

A tick mark appeared on Ultear's forehead. "NATSU IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" she roared, before realizing that the whole guild heard her.

"Who said it was Natsu? Or is he the first one on your mind, Ultear?" Mavis asked innocently, before her facade broke and she rolled along the floor, laughing.

Blushing hard, Ultear decided to take Mavis's previous advice, bar the boyfriend part, and followed Natsu outside.

Outside, her mind drifted back to what Mavis said.

' _Is_ Natsu my boyfriend?...'

..

"Porlyusica-san! Hey, Porlyusica-san!"

An old woman opened the door to her house, tick marks popping up on her head. It was bad enough that the dragonslayer had interrupted her peace, but now he brought another kid to her house! Not to mention, said kid didn't even have anything wrong with him!

"What is it, brat? And it better be good, or do you want me to bring out my broomstick?|

Oblivious to the threat, Natsu beamed and began explaining, while sweat droplets began a race down Lee's hair. 'Kami, this granny is _scary_!'

Just as Natsu finished his explanation, Ultear appeared in the clearing, her face still a dangerous red.

Worried, Natsu leaned over and put his forehead next to hers. "What's wrong, Ul? Doesn't look like you have a fever…." This action, along with him calling her by a nickname, made her flush even more. "Whoa, now _that's_ red! What's wrong?"

Porlyusica and Lee sighed, amazed at Natsu's obliviousness. 'Is it even possible for him to be that dense?'

Stuttering, Ultear managed to form a sentence. "D-d-don't mind me, Natsu-kun. R-remember, Lee's checkup?"

Inwardly she cursed her stutter. 'Darn it, why'd I stutter? This is _so_ unlike me!'

This got Natsu even more worried. "Porlyusica, Lee says he has a mind-wiping curse. Can you check him out? I'm gonna stay and see what's wrong with Ul; she never stutters…"

'That's because of you, idiot!' everyone else mentally screamed at Natsu, before complying with his request.

Though the Time Mage would never admit it, she was secretly touched that Natsu was worried for her, and paid enough attention to see that something was wrong. 'But that's still because of you, Natsu-ku- I mean, idiot!'

Meanwhile, Lee's mind was racing. 'Damn, should I use my magic on this granny? But if I do, someone could sense the magic, and even if I don't it'll be hard to explain… Should I fib my way through this?'

Noticing his nervousness, Porlyusica became interested. 'You were right, Mavis. This boy, he claims to be cursed, though he clearly isn't. Perhaps I should thank you for the mini-Fairy Sphere…'

..

 **Ok, I have two things to say. Yes, I'm gonna start pairing up NaTear. Also, I have a question… In the manga, Lucy spends a bunch of time looking for how to use Fairy Sphere. However, why didn't they just ask Mavis? In a war, you don't waste time combing a library when you can just** _ **ask**_ **someone, you know! Anyways, thank you for reading, and be sure to take the poll I mentioned earlier!**


	28. Lee Kieroku, Fairy Tail Member!

**AN: I am** _ **super**_ **sorry for not updating, I just had a lot of stuff going on. Concerts, recitals, soccer, and watching a football game, among other things… Anyways, I closed the poll and decided to alternate between two stories. Therefore, please vote for the story you want. Today's story is** _The Sabre's Dragon_ **, by iamzoy. Enjoy!**

..

 **September 11, X774**

 **Mavis and Co. PoV**

After Ultear had left, red-faced, the ghost motioned to the girl's mother, grinning.

As Ur drew closer, Mavis whispered, "Say, wanna go check up on your daughter's _interactions_ with Natsu?"

Smirking, the duo silently snuck out of the door, and Ur sealed the door shut with ice. 'This is going to be interesting…'

..

As they approached Porlyusica's residence, they decided to mask their scents with perfume. Well, Ur did, anyways.

Soon, they hid in a nearby bush, observing the two time travelers. The Time Mage was blushing bright red and seemed to find the ground _very_ interesting, while the Dragonslayer was gently touching her forehead with a worried expression on his face. Shortly afterwards, he had a quick conversation with Fairy Tail's resident healer, who then led Lee into her house.

Exchanging glances, they shrugged. They could always check out the new kid later. _This_ was more important.

..

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

After the healer had entered the house with their mysterious new companion, Natsu turned back to observe Ultear.

Worriedly, he noted that this… _meek_ behavior was very unlike her. 'She must not be feeling well…' he thought.

"Are you _sure_ you're ok, Ultear?" He checked her temperature once more. "Hmmm… It's not a fever… Maybe you should lie down?"

Deciding to take this ready-made excuse, she nodded silently. Glancing up quickly, her chest warmed at how worried he was, just because he thought she was sick.

Natsu took one more worried glance at her, before running into the storehouse and dragging out a couch, lifting it easily in his absentmindedness.

Quickly carrying her bridal style, he laid her down onto the couch. Checking her condition, he was perplexed.

"Your face is _really_ red, but there's almost no heat…" he thought aloud.

Struggling to regain her sense, she managed to quell down her blush and talk normally. Sitting up, she reassured him, "It's ok, Natsu. I'm fine now."

Beaming, the pinkette sighed in relief. "That's great! So, wanna go check on Lee?"

Plopping down next to her, he looked at her expectantly.

This time, her face picked up a faint pinkish hue, rather than crimson red. "Ummm… Can we just… stay like this for a while?"

Giving her his signature smile, he held a thumbs-up. "Sure!"

..

 **Mavis and Co. PoV**

"Ahhh… young love…" the two onlookers sighed in unison.

Mavis turned to her new friend, frowning slightly. "Unfortunately, I need to check out how Lee is doing. Can you tell me what happens next?"

Giggling like a schoolgirl, Ur nodded, sympathizing with her for a moment before returning her attention to her daughter's prospective boyfriend. "No problem, Mavis. Believe me, I won't forget a single second of this!"

Her hands rose from the foliage, revealing a Recording Lacrima, smirking.

Clapping her hands, the ghost squealed quietly. "That's a _great_ idea, Ur! I was right to bring you along. Now, I gotta go!"

With that, Mavis traveled around the clearing to the other side of the house, so that the duo won't see her, before phasing through the wall.

Inside, she silently thanked herself for telling Natsu to bring Lee to Porlyusica _before_ getting the guild mark. Otherwise, it'd be _very_ hard to explain to Lee why he had the head of a little girl sticking out from his face. Moving quickly, she floated above the two, observing silently.

Due to this, Porlyusica snorted slightly, before returning to the task at hand.

"Apparently, you don't have a curse… It's magic surges. I don't think you were misinformed, so why did you lie, Lee?"

Lee fidgeted, making Mavis and Porlyusica's eyes narrow. "E-ehmm… Oh, what the heck. I didn't want to use it yet, but here goes nothing. **Memory Wipe**!"

This shocked everyone in the room. Though they had their suspicions, the doctor and the ghost were astonished that he had a unique magic. Lee, on the other hand, was shocked due to his magic bouncing harmlessly off of an invisible barrier of some sort. As the spell collided, a wave of magis rolled throughout the shield, revealing a golden orb surrounding the old doctor.

Gulping, Lee prepared for the worst. Closing his eyes, he grimaced.

"Why?"

"... Eh?"

Porlyusica huffed, her patience thinning. "I asked you, why? Why did you want to wipe my memory? Also, how much of your story was true?"

Fidgeting once more, he told her his past. "I was a young boy, when my magic started surging. This caused my parents to forget me, so I was abandoned. Then, I was adopted, only to be kicked out when they didn't recognize. This repeated, over and over, until I started to use this power to my advantage, at the age of five. I met with people, gained their trust, and stole their belongings. They never knew, and I was never reported. I never had any friends, nor did I need any. Eventually, I harnessed my power, to a certain degree. I could activate it at will. However, I was unable to stop the surges, no matter how hard I tried. That's my past. As you can probably guess, I decided to infiltrate a guild to steal their belongings. Since they would forget about me anyways, why not go for the biggest? Thus, I ended up here."

Rubbing her forehead, Porlyusica sighed. "I'm getting too old for this… Mavis, what do we do?"

Lee looked curiously as the old healer seemingly talked to thin air. Had she gone senile?

Sighing again, the healer leaned over to a nearby drawer, pulling out a stamp. "Lucky for you, I have an extra one after the pink-haired brat forgot this old one here. Don't know why, don't care. Now, where do you want your guild mark, Lee?"

Shocked silent, the boy said nothing, silently pointing towards his right shoulder.

"Just like Natsu, eh? Anyways, you must promise never to use your power on us. We can help with the magic surges, but you cannot use memory magic on us, got it?" said the old woman as she pressed the stamp onto the indicated spot.

Nodding happily, Lee cheered inwardly. He had come to steal, but instead got a new home, which was so kind as to even offer to help him!

Thus, Fairy Tail had gained it's newest member, Lee Kieroku.

..

 **Nothing to see here. Move along.**


	29. Memory Wipe

**AN: Sorry, I probably won't update as frequently, as I've been really busy. As in, I fell asleep due to exhaustion. In the middle of my Pre-SAT. Yeah…** _ **not**_ **a good idea. However, I can guarantee that I will update at least once a week. On another note, I ran out of Fairy Tail fanfics to recommend… Anyways, enjoy!**

..

 **September 11, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

After a few awkward minutes, the duo had decided to return to the guild. Unbeknownst to them, Ur sighed sadly, and Mavis had just come out of the house, followed by Lee.

"So, how did it go?" Mavis asked excitedly.

Shaking her head, the Ice Make Mage gloomily answered no. "It was such a perfect moment when you left, but they didn't say much after that… It was _so_ awkward…"

Sighing, Mavis shook her head. As Lee glanced between the two of them, confused as to what was going on, she suddenly perked up.

"Oh well! There's always next time. Natsu may be clueless, but Ultear knows what I want, and I won't stop until it happens!"

Smirking triumphantly, Mavis turned around and started guiding Lee back to the guild, Ur close behind.

..

"What the heck?!" yelled Natsu, as he was currently pulling as hard as he could on ice-covered doors. Ultear stood behind him, wondering why this would be.

'Hmmm… Did the fight get too intense, and they had to seal the doors? No, that's impossible without Natsu… This ice belongs to Ur, and it looks about half an hour old… That's when I left… And Ur sealed these doors to get privacy… So, if she's in there, it's ok. If she's not…'

Gulping, Ultear stepped forward and put a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Natsu, since it's ice, I can manipulate it, so please stand aside…"

Nodding, Natsu stepped back. Then a thought struck him. Not one to keep thoughts to himself, he blurted it out immediately. "Wow, you can manipulate ice? Awesome! Say, can you help me give Ice Prick a good beat-down?"  
Giggling a little at his behaviour, she responded, never taking her eyes off the ice. "No, I can only manipulate normal ice, or ones that don't have magic in them. Gray's ice is Static Make, but as long as he's concentrating, he's essentially putting magic into it. Besides, it takes quite a while to do this."

However, Natsu was not deterred. "That's still awesome! Maybe I'll be able to manipulate fire… That'll make it easier to eat, at least!"

Laughing, the duo entered the guild, most of which were unconscious either due to fighting, alcohol, or blood loss back from when Ur left the building. Currently, only a few children were awake.

"Hey guys, we're back!"

Chortling at the state of the guild, the pink-haired boy walked over to the others, Ultear in tow.

"Oi, Flame Brain! Where'd ya go?" yelled a currently shirtless boy whom a young bluenette was desperately avoiding.

"What do you mean, Ice Prick? And put some clothes on, can't you see Wendy's uncomfortable, or are ya blind as well as a stripper?" snapped Natsu, his brotherly/dragon instincts kicking in.

The two butted heads, lightning crackling between their eyes, until Natsu turned to the side with a huff. "What do you mean, anyways? I _clearly_ said I was going to bring Lee to Porlyusica!"  
Gray grew another tick mark, as he retorted, "What?! Who the heck is Lee, and if you were doing that, where is he?"

Scowling, Natsu was about to say something when Ultear cut in. "Hold on, you don't know who Lee is? So he really did have a curse…"

"Nope!"

As they jumped at the sudden voice, the trio turned around to see Mavis, Ur, and Lee.

Gray assumed a battle position as he questioned his mother figure, "Ur, who is that boy?"

"And what do you mean, he hasn't got a curse? If that's the case, why don't they remember him?" Ultear added in.

Mavis, the one who had interrupted before, scratched the back of her head. "How do I say this… Lee is a thief. Or rather he was… His magical condition is actually quite similar to yours, Ultear. However, instead of blowing him up, he released it in surges. As it happened, his magic was unique, Memory Wipe Magic. Due to this, the only way he could survive was to steal…"  
Ultear and Gray were visibly shocked at his former occupation. Natsu was nonchalantly picking his teeth, clearly not following the conversation, or didn't care.

Ultear stepped forward, asking, "How come Gray's affected, but I'm not? I left _after_ he did, so if he made them forget, I should have forgotten as well… and on that note, you too."

"I guess you had left before the magic sunk in. Ur, too. As for me, I'm a Thought Projection; it wouldn't have affected me anyways. Also, some of the guild members' magic levels are at the point where they wouldn't be affected, if they weren't drunk," responded Mavis, giggling at the last part. "Anyways, he's our newest member! And don't worry about your magical malady, Lee. Someone can just cast Drain on you to keep your magic from building up."

Nodding, Lee tentatively asked for permission to leave them, which he got. He then moved nervously over to what he deduced were the easiest to get along with; Wendy and the other dragonslayers seemed accepting, however gruff Gajeel may be, or silent Rogue was.

Natsu walked alongside him, swinging an arm across Lee's shoulder, at which he visibly flinched. "So, you're joining the guild? That's awesome, man!"

Lee froze, shocked at Natsu's behaviour. "Y-you don't hate me? You don't fear me? I was going to steal from you, and can accidentally erase your memories at any given moment!"

"Hah! I've been through worse! I've even gotten hit by a full blast of Zeref's Death Magic! What's the point of Death Magic if it doesn't cause death, I will never know…"

Slack-jawed at the statement, Lee looked incredulously at the dragonslayer, listening to his stories of 'butt-kicking', as he liked to call them.

'Man, Fairy Tail is going to be interesting…'

..

 **Oh yeah, from now on I'm going to focus mostly on what's happening around Fairy Tail, as I've finished setting up several arcs… some obviously, some, not so much… Well, see ya! And remember, falling asleep during super-important tests is** _ **not**_ **a good idea, unless you're done!**


	30. Exceeds

**AN: Ok, so I will be posting my first chapter of another story,** _Fairy Tail's Founding_ **. It's a NaVis story, so please enjoy! Also, there'll be a timeskip soon…**

..

 **September 13, X774**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

For the past two days, they had shown Lee around Magnolia, and learned _**Drain**_ to be able to help him at a moment's notice. Currently, the whole group watched in excitement as Happy, Charla, Frosch, and Lector's eggs started cracking. The latter two, along with Panther Lily, were brought by Mystogan, due to his travels.

Suddenly, the shaking of the eggs doubled, rattling loudly. With a resounding "crack", four small cats emerged from their respective eggs.

"Natsu/Wendy/Rogue/Sting!" each of them called as they dashed to their respective partners. Releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, Natsu put on his trademark grin and introduced them.

"Rogue, this is your partner, Frosch. Sting, Lector. As for Charla, I already told you everything I know, Wendy," he explained while hugging Happy tightly.

Charla, being the only one who cared, stepped forward. "What happened, Natsu. Though I never thought I'd say this, it appears you have the most knowledge of this situation…"

As the group chuckled at her comment and Natsu pouted, Lector called out, "Yeah, Natsu-san. What happened? Though I don't really care since I get to be with Sting again, a broad overview would be nice…."

"Fro thinks so too!" piped the remaining Exceed, who was somehow born wearing his- or was it a her?- trademark frog costume. Either that, or Rogue just happened to have one ready, for reasons Natsu neither knew, nor wanted to.

Ultear cut in, sighing. "Carla, if you ask Natsu, you realize it's only going to involve fighting something up or eating, right?"

"Hey, I do _not_ do that!" the pink-haired dragonslayer protested indignantly. After thinking for a few moments, he muttered, "I also talk about… Acnologia?"

As everyone sweat dropped, Ultear shook her head in exasperation. "Natsu, that still falls under the category of 'things you want to fight', you know… Anyways, to answer your question, Carla, we traveled through time."

The five Exceeds gaped at the statement, and the fact that she was saying it so casually. Recovering quickly, Charla recalled the events leading up to the time jump.

Nodding slowly in understanding, she questioned, "It was your Time Magic, wasn't it? However, time travel takes an extraordinary amount of magic, so much that it is merely theoretical, apart from the Eclipse Gate. You don't have the reserves to pull it off, let alone in your condition at the time, so what was the source?"

Wordlessly, the Time Mage pointed towards Natsu, who was currently in a debate with Happy about the 'wonders of fish'.

This shocked everyone. They knew he had large magic reserves, that was true. They also knew time travel required a lot of magic, otherwise people would be time travelling all over the place. Thus, the idea that Natsu _alone_ powered a time jump of, according to them, _17_ years was insane.

Oblivious, Natsu continued fooling around with his pet talking cat and best friend.

'Looks can be _very_ deceptive', they thought.

..

At around noon, Natsu remembered something Jellal had told him a while ago.

Standing up, he cupped his hands and shouted, "Didn't someone named Brandish want to see me? Where are you?"

Wincing, the green-haired _sitting right in front of him_ rubbed her ears before raising her hand.

"Oh! So your name's Brandish?" Natsu asked, waiting for confirmation. "I saw you hanging around for few days, but didn't know your name. In any case, sorry for the wait. What'd you want to talk about?"

Sighing, Brandish reviewed her mission mentally. 'Infiltrate Fairy Tail, Check. Keep an eye on Natsu, kinda hard not to. Umm… Was that it? Oh well…'

In reality, she responded happily, "Oh, no worries! These past few days have been interesting anyways. I just wanted to say hi to the famous Dragonslayer that's been popping up in rumors recently, as well as join Fairy Tail."

Nodding, Natsu flashed his signature grin, but with a slight tinge of… was that mischievousness?

Lighting his fists on fire, he roared, "Guild Fiiiiiiight!" before throwing several furnitures across the room, and quite a few people by accident.

Not surprisingly, a brawl quickly erupted, while the bystanders looked on in amusement.

Sweat dropping, Brandish turned to Ultear. "Is it… always like this?"

"Hm?" came the absentminded reply, as the Time Mage tried to keep track of what was happening to Natsu. "Ah, no. This usually only happens when Natsu's here."

"You realize that doesn't make it better, right?"

"Eh? Sure."

"Now _that_ is what I call a job well done!" came a familiar voice from right behind them.

Turning around, the two girls found Natsu, grinning proudly at the scene before him.

"Wait, if you're not going to fight, why'd you start one?" Brandish demanded heatedly. This caused the dragonslayer to scratch his head, followed by a shrug.

Turning to Ultear, Natsu asked something that he had just noticed. "Hey, where's Happy?"

Sighing, Ultear told him, "He left with Lisanna to get some fish. He told you. Five times."  
At this, Natsu blanched. "Eh? He did?"

Assuming a lecturing pose, the Time Mage started to do exactly what her pose suggested. "Natsu, if you want to keep Happy, you need to keep better track of him. He's _your_ cat, after all."

"What?! He is NOT a cat! He is a _flying_ cat!" came Natsu's reply. To this, Ultear and Brandish merely deadpanned.

"What?"

"..."

"..."

..

 **Ok, this is over, good night!**


	31. X784

**AN: Yay, I finally posted up my second story. However, I found a better name, so it's called** _Fairy's Shelter_ **, instead of whatever I said it was. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Please Note: Exactly** _ **when**_ **Ultear picked up Meredy was never specified, so I'm making it up, ok?**

..

 **July 2, X784**

 **Natsu and Co. PoV**

Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's resident dragonslayer and ball of energy, sighed. It's been a few years since everyone joined Fairy Tail, and nothing much had changed. He left Juvia in Phantom Lord, as Gray probably didn't need a stalker yet. Also, he probably eliminated Bora, so Juvia shouldn't have bad memories. Later, during the battle against The Beast, he convinced Mirajane to let him join, and saved Lisanna from 'death'.

The reason he was feeling contemplative, for once in his life? Today was the day he met Lucy. Unfortunately, this was the same day Ultear said Meredy's town was destroyed.

Suddenly, the proverbial lightbulb went off in his head. He could always send someone to get Lucy and beat up Bora, while he fought Grimoire Heart!

Grinning in anticipation for the oncoming fight, he considered who he should ask.

Gray… would probably strip in the middle of town. Erza might do the job… violently. Wendy would never have the courage to actually talk to Lucy. Gajeel would get sick on the train.

Sighing, he decided to just post it up as a mission and hope someone will take it.

Once that was done, he jumped up and motioned Ultear over.

Smiling widely, he told her, "So, I'm coming with you to help Meredy. That ok with you?"

Nodding, she broke into a smile similar to Natsu's. "Great! Are we going right now?"

Receiving confirmation, her grin grew wider, and she dashed off to get ready, the pinkette doing the same. Racing through the morning mist, Ultear drew out a Teleportation Lacrima she had prepared for this day.

As soon as Natsu arrived, she started pouring her magic into it, and it glowed a brilliant blue, before filling the air with pure white.

..

A dot of blue, about the size of a fist, appeared a few feet above the ground, quickly growing in size. When the light dissipated, it revealed Natsu and Ultear, fists on fire and orbs levitating.

Taking note of their situations, they realized, thankfully, the town had not yet been attacked. Grinning, Natsu smashed his hands together in anticipation, while Ultear frowned.

'Last time, we were in sight of the town by this time, so why… ' Thinking hard, she realized that Natsu had frowned also. "Why are you sniffing the air, Natsu?"

Growling, he told her, "I smell something explosive. A lot of it."

Taking a whiff, she realized the pinkette was correct. 'Last time, Master sent three people, me, Zancrow, and Kain. Obviously, I'm not there, so could Master have sent someone in my place?'

With that revelation, she whipped around to face the dragonslayer, shouting, "Shoot, someone must have placed explosives! Azuma is here!"

Shock turned to anger, as Natsu ran into the town, following his nose, Ultear right on his heels.

Ignoring the confused townspeople, who were wondering why the famous Salamander was in their backwater town, he sprinted until he reached the church.

"Quite an odd place to start a slaughter, don't you think?" muttered the purplette, alarming several civilians. With that, they entered the darkened doorway, maintaining high alert.

"My, my. It appears we have visitors. How quaint!"

Natsu glared into the shadows, lighting his fists on fire to see the speaker to reveal… nothing. Meanwhile, Ultear frowned, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. 'That voice… It's not Kazuma's, Zancrow's, or Kain's. In fact, I don't recognize it at all!'

Three shadows dropped down from the rafters, revealing Zancrow, Kain, and the enigma. Said person was a girl around Ultear's age, with midnight black hair tied into ponytails.

His gaze never leaving their opponents, Natsu asked, "Ultear, who's the last one? Based on what Erza told me of Kazuma, he's not a she."

Shaking her head, she replied, "I don't know, but she's dangerous. Be careful."

Grinning, he doubled the flames on his fists and stepped forwards.

Zancrow smirked, and lit his fists similarly with black fire. "I've been waiting to fight you again, Natsu Dragneel!"

His only response was Natsu's catchphrase. "I'm all fired up!"

With that, he dashed forwards, knocking Mr. Dolly 1 and 2 away from Kain before engaging Zancrow in a firefight. Shrugging, Ultear turned to face the last one.

"Hello, the name's Mikoto! By the way, you should watch out for your boyfriend. Fire's not the best magic to use against Zancrow y'know?" informs the newly identified mage.

Ultear shrugged again. "I know. However, he wouldn't stop even if I told him to. Besides, shouldn't you worry about yourself?"

This raised an eyebrow. "Eh, so he really _is_ your boyfriend? I was only joking, ya know."  
Sighing, Ultear shook her head. "No, no he isn't. however, you tend to get used to it after being teased about it for years on end."

This caused Mikoto to look at her with sympathy. "Overbearing friends that like to gossip?"

Receiving a nod, the two opponents sighed.

"Ya know, I don't really feel like fighting now…"

"Yeah, me neither. How about we sit down and watch Natsu fight?"

"Sure."

..

Meanwhile, the two slayers exchanged blows, grinning widely. Every time their fists met, there was a small explosion, but neither were gaining ground.

'I've got this in the bag! Just wait until I show my full power!' both of them thought.

After a few minutes, Zancrow grew bored and decided to finish the fight. Roaring, he doubled his speed, his fists becoming blurs. The pinkette grinned, increasing his own speed to match his the blond's.

"W-what! I trained for years for this! There's no way you could equal my strength as I am now!" Zancrow gasped, shocked at the ease with which the dragonslayer dispatched his hits. "Impossible! No _dragon_ can defeat a god!"

'Well, technically, I've trained for twice my age…' Natsu thought, smirking. Aloud, he responded by roaring, "Well, too bad! Igneel's not just _any_ dragon, he's the Fire Dragon King!"

Guessing that Kain should be ready to attack by now, if he had a new magic, Natsu decided to end the fight.

"This is it! **Slayer's Sacred Art: Phoenix's Destruction Orb**!"

Punching the godslayer's gut, the flames around his flames turned white and purple. On Zancrow's back, a magic circle flickered briefly, before exploding continuously, each one stronger than the next.

Zancrow tried to swallow the flames, before realizing that, for the second time in his life, he felt the heat, he was _burning_! Upon this , he cackling madly, yelling, "Salamander, you truly are the king of fire mages, for twice you have beaten me. Next time, I will claim that title!"

A moment later, he slumped over, unconscious. As soon as he did, Natsu waved his hand, and the explosions stopped.

Looking up from his enemy's prone form, his eyes wandered the room, finding no one who happened to be white and chubby. "Ultear, where's Kain? I'd thought he would have gotten another magic by now…"

Shrugging, the purplette stood up and dusted herself off. "I don't know. He just ran out of here crying and chasing his dolls. I also heard a few gags and people barfing not long after that."  
Sighing, Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "Man, I thought he'd come back, or else I could've had more fun with Zancrow. Oh well. How did your fight go, Ultear? And where did the explosive stuff go?"

Ultear turned around to where Mikoto sat… or, where she was sitting. Zancrow had also disappeared. "Damn, they've made a run for it!"

"Well, it looks like the dangerous stuff went with them. Ultear, go talk to Meredy, I'll chase them!" Natsu yelled. Seeing her nod, he sprinted out, once again sniffing the air.

..

He caught up to them at the edge town, right as Kain had joined Mikoto, who was dragging Zancrow's unconscious body.

Turning around, she smiled happily, an expression rarely seen on dark mages. "Sorry, Dragon-san, but we've got to go. I'd love to fight ya, but my free time's been used up! Gotta go back to the R-System, ya know?"

Pulling out a Teleportation Lacrima, they disappeared in a purple flash of light, leaving behind a stunned Natsu.

'R-System?! But Ultear isn't… Damn, we must have changed the timeline somehow!' thought a panicking Natsu. Thinking aloud, he muttered, "Wait, but Zeref might've changed something too… Gah, this time travel stuff is too confusing! What's her magic though, anyways? It doesn't feel _bad_ , but it doesn't feel good, either. It's a jumble of everything… Since Ultear fought her, I better ask her."

Turning around, he walked back to town. "Oh yeah, Lullaby's about to be summoned, too… Meh, the Ice Prick and Erza can deal with it."

Tensing, he broke out into a full out run into the city, right before it erupted in flames.

"Ultear!"

..

 **Ultear PoV**

(After they split up)

Recalling where she had found Meredy, it wasn't too hard to find the little girl, what with her… unique hair color. Giggling at how similar it was to Natsu's, Ultear knocked on the door of her former pseudo-daughter's house.

The door creaked open slightly, small red eyes peering out at waist-height. "Mom, Dad, someone's here!"

Ignoring the pang when she heard the girl call her parents, she reasoned, 'it's for the best. Better they live than I take care of her.'

"Hello, sweetie," the purplette started, smiling warmly. "I just wanted to drop by, as I heard of someone with the same hair color of my teammate, rare as it is." She had made up that excuse, after yearning for so long to meet Meredy once more. "Can I come in?"

Meredy's parents, her mother with pink hair like Meredy's, and her father with white hair, appeared behind their child. They group proceeded into the living room.

Meredy's mother and the Time Mage quickly hit it off. "Of course! I assume you're talking about pink, as your teammate's hair color?"

"Yes, indeed. Which is strange, as he is _the_ most unruly boy I've ever met…"

This sparked the interest of Meredy's mother, who introduced herself as Laura. "Oh, really? To speak of him like this, you two must be close, eh?"

Nodding slightly, she replied, "Yes, we've known each other for years. Natsu is my first and best friend." This was true. Apart from her mother and pseudo-daughter, she had no real connections until she met Natsu, and he was easily the best friend she could have had to pull her out of that darkness.

"Natsu? Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander of Fairy Tail?" asked the father, Adam.

Laughing softly, she nodded, silently observing their reactions. Apparently, he had built up quite the reputation, possibly exceeding that of the previous timeline.

Laura and Adam's eyes widened in amazement, while Meredy looked up at them confusedly.

"Is he famous?" she asked, before her eyes lit up in excitement. "Can I see him?!"

Chuckling, Ultear nodded yes, before freezing mid-nod, tensing. "Shoot!"

Placing both hands on the floor she yelled, " **Crystallized Ice Make: Bunker**!"

Immediately, a shimmering blue wall and roof formed around the room, sealing the doors before thickening. The result was a see-through barrier of shimmering ice, before the world outside erupted in a blazing inferno.

Gritting her teeth, she poured her magic into the walls as the strange fire broiled against their protection.

Laura and Adam shielded their daughter, unsure of whether or not the purplette's magic would hold. Unaware of exactly what was going on, Meredy was mesmerized by the demonstration of red battling against blue, encased by shimmering transparency, finding it beautiful.

Suddenly, the pressure of the fire practically vanished, moving as if it were being sucked into a vortex where their door once stood. Soon, the fire had all been cleared away, revealing a worried-looking boy, with the same hair color as Laura and Meredy.

"Ultear! Are you okay?" he yelled, but his voice was muted by the barrier.

Realizing this, she quickly dispelled it. "Natsu! Thank god, I wasn't sure how much longer I could've held that up."

Smiling in relief, he turned to the other three left in the… room? "Are you guys alright too?"

The adults nodded mutely, while Meredy stepped forwards, towards Natsu. "You're Natsu-nii? Ultear told us about you."

He shot Ultear a questioning glance, and mouthed, 'Why is she calling me Natsu-nii?'. Receiving a shrug, he sighed, before turning his attention back to Meredy, grinning. "Yup! The one and only! Ermm… are your parents… ok?"

At this, Laura and Adam regained their senses.

"Yes, we're fine. By the way, I'm Laura, he's Adam, and the little one's Meredy."

Adam stepped forwards, grimacing. "Natsu-san, what happened? Did… did anyone else make it?"

Sighing, the purplette joined the conversation. "Earlier, we located dark mages planting Explosive Lacrima in the church. We fought them, but they escaped. We thought they hadn't had time to plant any, but… the results stand before you. I truly apologize." she finished, bowing, before looking over to her teammate.

"By the time I got back from chasing them, the… the town was covered in these damn flames. I sucked away all I could, but… It was all I could do to reach you in time, and that was only due to the barrier. I'm sorry," Natsu finished, averting his gaze guiltily.

Meredy tugged at his shirt. "Natsu-nii, how did you get rid of the red stuff?"

Smiling sadly down at the girl, he answered simply, "I ate them."

Ultear face-palmed, as the two adults' jaws dropped and Meredy cheered, "I want to eat some too! What do they taste like?"

Chuckling, the dragonslayer ruffled her hair. "You can't, Meredy. It's very dangerous, only I can do it, being a Fire Dragonslayer."

The young pinkette pouted, crossing her arms. "Then, I want to be a Fire Dragonslayer too!"

Natsu's eyebrows rose, and Ultear hissed, "What have you done? Now we're going to have twice the amount of property damage at the guild!"

Sighing, Natsu shook his head softly, before tensing up. "Shoot! Ultear, set up another barrier!"

Following his instruction without question, she quickly set up a new barrier, but not before Natsu jumped out.

"Who is it, Natsu?"  
"Azuma… Ultear, Azuma is here."

..

 **So, I've finally gotten to the main plot! Therefore, my chapters will be longer now, hooray! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**


	32. Hargeon

**AN: Personal opinion, you guys** _ **have**_ **to listen to Dragonhearted, it's a great song! Enjoy the story! Also, there might be a few errors, as my keyboard has officially broken down.**

..

 **July 2, X784**

 **Ezra and Co. PoV**

 _Morning_

Currently, Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandez were sitting at the bar at their guild, Fairy Tail. The former was eating strawberry cheesecake solemnly, while the prior was wondering where the comedian duo of Natsu and Ultear were.

"Hey, Jellal. What's on your mind?" asked Erza, prodding his shoulder with the back of her fork.

Shaking his head clear of unnecessary thoughts, he turned to his friend. "Nothing, just wondering where Natsu was."

"Well, I don't know where he is, but he put up this request earlier!" said Sting, popping up between them. "The request says he needs an stripper and some others to pay a visit to Hargeon, and then move onto Eisenwald. Wind Magic users suggested. The reward is… strawberry cheesecakes?"

Erza's eyes gleamed, and she stood up. "Good, I was going to pay a visit to Hargeon anyways. Jellal, let's go!"

"Wait, what about the other members? Typically, we'll bring four people if we're going to take a Dark Guild," Jellal asked, before turning to Sting. "Do you want to come?"

Shaking his head, he replied gloomily, "I'd love to come in Natsu-san's request, but I already promised Rogue, Gajeel, and Levy to go on a mission. Besides, I don't fit any of the requirements," he pointed out.

"True… Gray, Wendy, get over here!" Erza shouted.

Grumbling, a shirtless boy walked over, a young bluenette not far behind, covering her red face.

Smacking Gray, Erza scolded him. "Don't strip in front of Wendy, Gray!"

"What!? When did that happen!?"

Ignoring the panicking Ice Mage, the redhead turned to the others. "Ok, Natsu put up a request, and we're gonna do it!"

Wendy tentatively raised her hand. "Umm, I don't have anything against it, but why are we taking it? And why me?"

"Well, the reward is strawberry cheesecake, so-" Jellal started, but was cut off by Erza.

"That's not it! I-I was heading to Eisenwald anyways," she protested, waving her hands in front of her.

Soon, they headed out, wondering what was in Hargeon, and where Natsu was.

..

"Salamander-sama!"

A crowd of young girls roared down the road, just as they stepped off of the train. Thankfully, Wendy hasn't developed motion sickness yet.

"Salamander? Isn't that Natsu-san's alias?" Wendy wondered aloud. Shrugging, the group neared the epicenter of the commotion.

Gritting her teeth, Erza smiled dangerously, while Jellal looked on grimly.

"Now I see why Natsu wanted us here. Just be Charm Magic, or some kind of illusion…" Erza muttered, ReQuipping a sword.

The flash of light drew the man's attention, and he beamed at his new 'fans'. "Hello, my fa… oh, shoot!"

The last part was due to him seeing the unforgettable scarlet hair. Also, the murderous and drawn blade helped in the intimidation department.I

"Come back here, you coward!" yelled Erza, brandishing her sword as she chased him.

The others simply turned to Jellal for an explanation. Seeing that the intruders did, the Daniels crossed their arms and did the same.

Sighing, Jellal realized they weren't relenting. 'Besides, better to make sure the fangirls try to kill Erza later…'

"That man, for those of you who don't know, is not Salamander. He's Bora, a slave trader. At least, he was, last time we saw him ten years ago. He's probably using charm magic and took up Natsu's name to get back at him for beating him up, and sending him to jail," Jellal sighed, and covered his ears in the uproar that was to come.

Unexpectedly, the crowd became absorbed in stunned silence. Unfortunately for Dragonslayers all over Fiore, this was not to last.

"WHAAAAAAT!?"

Luckily, Jellal had handed Wendy earplugs, so she was saved from imminent agony.

..

ReQuipping into her Heaven's Wheel Armour, Erza used summoned a dozen swords and launched them at her target.

"Coward! Come back here, you- you- Gahh!" she shrieked, flying at him with twice her prior speed.

Sneaking glances behind him, Bora screamed girlishly as he recalled Natsu's strength. "If she's anywhere as strong as _he_ was… Oh, god!" he wailed.

People looked at the strange scene, as a flying blur of red and silver chased a fully-grown man crying like a little girl across town.

Signing in relief as he neared his yacht, he yelled out, "Men, help me! For God's sake, help!"

Snapping to attention, his fellow slavers clambered down the ship… and was instantly mowed down by a rain of shiny, pointy sticks, commonly known as 'swords'.

Jaw dropping, Bora trembled in horror, lost in thought. 'I was right! She _is_ as bad as that pyromaniac!'

Lowering her sword to his neck, Erza spoke menacingly, "Surrender, and I won't harm you. _Please_ don't surrender."

Gulping, Bora nodded dumbly, causing Erza to sign and slap some anti-magic cuffs on him.

..

Once the hubbub had quieted down to a… tolerable volume, the girls began to take note of their saviours.

"Wait, you're Jellal Fernandez, which means that woman before… was… Oh, Bora is _so_ dead…" mused a blonde, running her chin in thought. "Say, can I join Fairy Tail?"

As the azure-haired teen opened his mouth, a large explosion echoed across the harbor.

"Erza… Wendy, stay here. I'll go check it out," he muttered, before disappearing in a golden blur.

Meekly, the young brunette turned to the crowd, only to find that the majority of it had dispersed. Apparently, they were chasing down an unidentified stripper.

'Where did Gray-san go, anyways?' she wondered, looking around.

"Umm… So, Wendy, was it? Can I join Fairy Tail, Wendy?" the blonde asked, snapping her train of thought.

Rubbing her forefingers together, the younger girl stuttered, "N-Natsu-san said anyone's welcome… But, can we wait until the other's get ba-"

Suddenly, Erza dropped down from the sky in her Blackwing Armour, and Jellal appeared in another golden blur.

Grumbling, Erza walked off to a cake shop, and Jellal sighed. "She wanted to blow up all his boats… I managed to stop her after the first went kaboom."

Sweat dropping, Wendy turned to the blonde. "Ummm… What's your name?"

"Me? I'm Lucy, a Celestial Spirit Mage! So, can I join your guild?"

"Ahhh… So _that's_ why we're here. Ok, we'll go get Gray, and talk on the train," Jellal said, smiling.

..

"Ok, that's enough. We're heading Oshibana, so get ready to fight," Erza ordered, and the others began preparing. Lucy looked around confusedly, but grim with determination as well. They had explained the threat Eisenwald held; Lullaby.

"Ok, so here's the plan: Me and Gray take out the grunts. Erza and Wendy take on the higher ranks," Jellal informed them. " Lucy… Er, you can provide support?"

Wendy froze, trembling. Pointing to herself, she squeaked, "M-me? Wouldn't you be better for that, Jellal-san?"

"You'll do fine. Erigor's a Wind Mage, so it should be ok," Erza informed the petite girl.

Rubbing his still-sore head from prior encounters with… certain people, Gray added, "Flame Brain said you'd do a good job. And as much as I hate to admit it, he's a pretty good judge of character. Remember when he took all of us in? Man, that was amusing. Ultear was livid for the first two months!"

Chuckling at the memories, the group consented to the plan, and continued packing.

In the shadows, a Dark Mage known as Mahayana chuckled. "You were right, Erigor-sama. Well then, let the games... begin!"

With the push of a button, the train station imploded with flames.

Panicking, the civilians rushed out of the… perfectly undamaged building.I

Erza had ReQuipped and was channeling some fire with her Fire Empress Armour. Jellal had made a deal with his hands and made golden, transparent domes to contain the fire. Gray froze the flames griping on how this fire was nowhere near Natsu's.

Wendy had a look of concentration on her face, and the remaining fires were instantly extinguished.

"What did you do, Wendy? Doesn't wind usually can the flames?" Erza queried, scratching her head and promptly ignoring Lucy's jaw dropping. "Oh, and thank you for warning is about the explosives, Wendy," she added, bowing.

"Ultear taught me how to… quarantine Natsu if necessary. 'If air is necessary for a fire, just take away the air' she said" Wendy replied cheerily. "So, all I did was create a vacuum!"

Sweat dropping at Ultear's reason for teaching a child a potentially devastating strategy, the group shrugged.

Ignoring the looks of shock and amazement, they walked out of the building. Wendy sniffed the air, and decided to go after the person who set up the bombs with Lucy.

"Don't worry, he doesn't appear to be too strong. We'll be back soon, you attack them first," she insisted, before casting _Ile Vernier_ and dashing off.

Lucy came out of reverie and noticed her friend was now rushing off… at a _very_ fast pace. "Hey! Wait up, Wendy!"

..

 **Sorry this wasn't as long as I promised last chapter, but, like I said earlier, my keyboard broke down. Plus, I really wanted to post this up, so… yeah. Enjoy!**


	33. Grimoire Heart and Eisenwald

**AN: Hooray, I got a new keyboard! Sorry for the wait, I was waiting for this. Ran** **ty Tail and Co. has just submitted a new idea, so I plan on using it. Unfortunately, it'll probably happen sometime between the GMG and the Tartaros arc. A.k.a., not soon. Enjoy!**

..

 **July 2, X784**

 **Ultear and Co. PoV**

"Azuma… Ultear, Azuma is here."

Inwardly cursing, she grinned. "Natsu, get back in here. Let me fight!"

The pinkette looked back at her, concerned. "But, Ultear-"

"Come on, I haven't fought yet, and that fire was magic-draining, so you're probably tired by now," she whined, pouting.

Sighing, Natsu nodded and walked back inside as she pulled down the barrier and took his place. With a flash of light, she ReQuipped a black bo staff and levitating orb. As soon as she took up her battle stance, a wooden figure grew out of the ground, solidifying to reveal Azuma.

Ultear was currently leaning forwards, staff tilting downwards, with her feet spread out and the orb rotating slowly around her head.

Smirking, Azuma folded his arms as he flared his magic.

"So, you were the ones that defeated Mikoto and Zancrow. Oh, and Kain, I guess…" He faltered, thinking. Shaking his head, he finished, "It seems you are worthy opponents. Now come!"

With that, wooden pillars erupted out of the ground. Ultear formed a sharpened edge on her staff and swiped the wood in half, which detonated in front of her.

The flames instantly burnt out, and her orb multiplied five times. Each of them zoomed towards the dark mage, who swiped his hand in front of him, a wooden block following suit and smashing the attack to shards. The wood changed course, flying to the Time Mage, who made an Ice Wall. The projectile exploded on impact, filling the air with a mixture of steam and smoke. Ultear silently used her Time Magic to keep it from spreading out, and circled around his opponent.

Azuma observed the battlescape, searching for his opponent. "Where are you, little girl? Don't tell me you ran away?" He pointed his fingers towards Meredy's family. "Then I guess I'll have to settle for-Oof!"

He doubled over, as a frozen cannonball launched from the smoke in front of him. The smoke was swept away, revealing nothing but a pre-set Ice Cannon. He ducked, just in time, as a staff with a frozen blade attached swept over where his head once was. Cackling wildly, he jumped forwards, putting distance between the two combatants. "Not bad, not bad at all!"

Readying for close combat, he dashed forwards. Suddenly, he started shimmering, and he cursed. "Well, I guess it's time for me to go… Get stronger, and we'll finish this next time we meet, Ultear Milkovich!"

In a burst of shadows, he disappeared.

Sighing, the purplette stumbled forwards, expecting to hit the dirt. Instead, she fell into warm arms, as Natsu supported her back to Meredy's family and helped her onto a couch.

Smiling gratefully to the pinkette, she was lightly bonked on the head.

"That's what you get for pushing yourself, idiot," Natsu said, grinning brightly.

Smiling weakly, she whispered, "Nah, that's _you're_ thing, isn't it?"

Laura whispered to her husband, "Want to bet how long before they get together?"

Adam chuckled, replying, "I think they're already like that, no matter what they say."

Unfortunately for the duo, Meredy overheard them. "Natsu-nii, Ultear-nee, are you together yet? And what does that mean?"

Their laughter was cut short, quickly turning into a sputtering mess. "Wh-what?! Where did you hear that from, Meredy?" Ultear choked out.

"Mama and Papa said so," she said, pointing towards the two, who froze mid-chuckle.

"E-eh… Anyways, where are we going to go, this place is destroyed," Laura asked, growing serious. True to her word, there were debris of wood and ice scattered around the ground, which was covered by a layer of ashes. Everything except for a rectangular prism around their living room, nothing remained.

The two mages exchanged glances and nodded, coming to a silent agreement.

Ultear clasped her hands together, and said, "If you want, you can join our guild. Meredy has an aptitude for magic, and there are other jobs that do not require magic as well. Until you want to move out, you can lodge with us."

"Wait, 'us'? You two live together?" Adam asked, smirking slightly.

Nodding proudly, Natsu puffed out his chest and declared, "Yup! I built a giant house, and dozens of people live there now! It's basically an apartment complex, no rent!"

Slightly miffed that his assumption being incorrect, the man shrugged, and looked over to his wife before nodding.

"Great, then let's go!" Natsu cheered, hoisting a giggling Meredy onto his shoulders and walking off, alongside the others.

..

 **Wendy PoV**

'Natsu-nii told me about this… 'Kageyama had a dangerous object, and must be stopped', he said,' thought Wendy, who was dashing through the streets and tracing said person's scent.

Lucy was not far behind, crying out, "Wait up, Wendy!" and panting heavily.

Skidding to a halt, she stared at the man who had activated the bombs, her adrenaline slowly fading away. 'Wait, why am I chasing down this person if he has such a dangerous object? I should have asked Erza-san to come with me…'

Suddenly skittish, she shifted her weight from one foot to another as Lucy caught up with her.

Taking a deep breath, the air started thickening around the young bluenette, her hair swirling in the air. Flashing a glare at her target, she activated her spell, thinking, 'I have to finish this quick, I don't want to know what his magic is… or his object.'

" **Sky Dragon's Roar**!"

A funnel of air rushed at the running man, who screamed girlishly as he was flung into the sky… doing absolutely nothing to retaliate.

Tilting her head, she thought aloud, "I thought… Natsu-nii said he had something dangerous?"

Sweat dropping, Lucy rubbed her forehead. 'These mages… they're crazy strong!'

Meanwhile, the unlucky Kageyama was soaring high into the air, disappearing in a comical twinkle.

..

 **Erza PoV**

The redhead, along with Gray and Jellal, rushed into the dark guild's base. Raising her sword, Erza yelled, "Prepare for battle!"

Assuming battle positions and formation, they charged into battle. Like most Fairy Tail fights, all order was dismissed, and chaos broke loose.

Gray was instantly separated, and grinned as he cast his new spell he got from-as much as he hated to admit it- Deliora.

" **Ice Devil's Rage**!"

 **Flashback**

" _Mira! Gray got a demon stuck in him, the idiot!" Ultear shouted, stomping angrily across the guild. She was ignoring the stares from the guild as she mentioned 'demon' and dragging a wriggling Gray to Mira._

 _Mira nearly dropped the glass she was holding, and whipped around instantly. "What?! Which demon is it, and how the heck did he get it?"_

 _Gray explained the experience in detail, slightly nervous under the two gazes._

 _Once he was finished, Mira whacked him upside the head, and started explaining how to control demons._

 **Flashback End**

The attack blasted through the dark mages quite easily, much to Gray's disappointment. Sighing, he continued to devastate his opponents with his normal magic, Ice Make.

'Man, I was hoping I could actually test it out in a battle… Oh well.'

..

Meanwhile, Erza and Jellal were working quite fluidly, Erza mowing down waves of enemies with her **Heaven's Wheel** armour, while Jellal picked out the stragglers in superspeed with **Meteor**.

Soon, the grunts were all taken out, leaving Erigor.

Cackling evilly, Erigor activated his **Wind Wall** (like he did in canon) and flew out, leaving the Fairy Tail mages behind.

Erza prodded the barrier, her armour disintegrating instantly upon contact. "Tch. Jellal, do you think you can break this?"

The azure-haired man observed the torrential squall, and shook his head. "No. It's moving too fast, only a wind-based mage can break this. It appears this is why Natsu had the request recommended a Wind Mage. I guess we'll have to wait for Wendy to come back..."

Sighing, the two sat down and gathered their magic power, while Gray attempted to copy them. However, he quickly stripped, and was punched unconscious by a very annoyed Erza.

..

 **Sorry, this chapter's a bit short. I got the keyboard at, like, 9:00 p.m. in the middle of a movie. Also, this was my first fight scene; did you like it? Please review!**


	34. Clash of Wind Mages

**AN: Sorry for not updating for so long… I contemplated the plot a bit and decided to add some more stuff. Obviously, Natsu won't be involved in** _ **every**_ **minor event, but most of the bigger/crucial ones. Plus, I had to find a way to make something happen to Anna, so as to keep Lucy the same…**

..

 **July 2, X784**

 **Wendy and Co. PoV**

Scratching her head, Wendy contemplated what she should do next. 'Eh… That was quick… Maybe I'll go meet up with Erza-san? But another scent popped up, and they're probably fine…'

Lucy spoke up behind her, asking, "Uh, Wendy? Are you just going to let that man fly off? You said he had something dangerous…"

Gasping, Wendy replied, "That's right! Come on, let's go!"

With that, the petite bluenette flew off into the sky.

"Wait, Wendy! I can't fly!"

Unfortunately for the blonde, her words were swept away in the wind.I

'Oh well, guess I'll check up with Erza and the others…'

..

 **Erigor PoV**

As the silver-haired dark mage flew through the sky, cackling madly, the strangest of things occurred.

A girlish scream was heard down below, steadily getting louder… and louder…

Looking in the direction of the sound's origin, he saw Kageyama, clutching the bone flute to his chest, speeding towards him like a bullet.

Using his wind magic to stop the missi- er, man, he asked, "What happened? And give me that!"

He yanked the device out of Kageyama's hands, as said man stuttered out, "Powerful magic-using…" he gulped, realizing how preposterous he was going to sound. "...little girl" he finished.

"What?!"

Sighing as he shook his head, Erigor launched the man back down to earth, muttering, "Useless…"

Almost as if the ground decided to play frisbee with him, another person shot towards him. However, this one emitted no noise, was much smaller, and was more controlled. It wove around Kageyama and continued on it's trajectory.

Destination: Erigor.

..

 **Wendy PoV**

Having seen the interaction, the petite girl saw the transfer of the 'object', and her prior victim's return to earth. Assuming that he had an ability that'd prevent his being hurt by the fall, Wendy woge around him and focused on her target. Natsu had told her about it, which meant he trusted her. And she was not going to let her brother- in all but blood- down.

" **Arms**! **Vernier**! **Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang**!"

Unleashing her spell as she zoomed towards the unknown dark mage, she was shocked when he countered it with his own wind magic, grunting slightly. 'Oh no… Apart from the Sacred Arts, I only have one spell more powerful than that… Should I use the Arts?'

Clearing her head of doubts, she continued boosting herself and releasing a flurry of attacks.

" **Ile Arms**! **Ile Vernier**! **Sky Dragon's Wind Wake**!"

Gazing in satisfaction at the mini hurricane she conjured, she waited for it to dissipate.

"Not bad, little girl… If you had used that first, I might've lost…" came the voice of her opponent, chuckling in a way that made her blood run cold. "Heh, too bad! **Storm Mail**!"

Cutting apart the wind with his scythe, he grinned maniacally, not that anyone can see it due to the layer of wind wrapping around him.

"Excuse me, but… that's wind magic, right?" asked the girl, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, it is! Scared yet? Take this!" he yelled cockily, preparing his own spell.

" **Emera Baram**!"

Face lighting up, Wendy began drawing the attack into her mouth, swirling like a vortex.

"Ermm… You might want to work on the taste?" she asked timidly, completely misinterpreting his shocked expression.

" **Sacred Art: Bugendai Uzu** **1** "

Taking a deep breath, all the air was drained from the surroundings. The air disappeared from a large globe around the target, with only just enough for him to live for a few seconds.

Dropping like a fly, Erigor lost all consciousness as Wendy observed the results of the first time her spell was used in battle.

"Oh, right! I have to get the flute!"

..

 **Lisanna PoV**

Lisanna and a girl that could easily be mistaken for her twin sat at a table watching Mirajane serve drinks at the guild. She had chosen the occupation due to an out-of-the-blue suggestion Natsu had said a few years back.

"Soooooo boooooooored!" moaned Lisanna, pouting childishly as she slumped onto the table.

She had little to no reservations to having traveled back in time as she would be able to 'relive all the times I missed!', as she stated. "It's so boring without the normal group! Natsu and Ultear left on a mission, why didn't they bring me? And so did Erza, Wendy, Gray, and Jellal! And everyone else is training or on other missions, too! Except Nab…"

Sighing, she looked at her companions. Happy, Carla, and the other Exceeds were in the corner, doing their own things. Brandish was acting reserved, as always.

For years, her look-alike was quiet and stood off to the side, until Lisanna and Natsu decided to work together and get the mysterious girl to open up. Unfortunately, they were still working on getting her to do that when anyone else than the two were around.

"Say, if they can go on missions, so can we! Come on, Brandish!" she declared, standing up and grabbing her friend's hand. Pulling her over to the job board, she browsed through the job offers, as did Brandish.

The latter soon gasped, as she focused on one particular paper. It read,

 _Mission: Go and infiltrate Everlue's Mansion! Blow it up for him being a weirdo. Also, order a flaming steak after you're done and give it to me._

 _Reward: Whatever you find in there *cough*a golden key*cough* is yours to keep._

 _Requester: Natsu Dragneel._

Giggling at the description, Lisanna took it off the board and nodded to her friend, who muttered, "Is that… legal?" and marched to the counter.

"We're taking this job, Mira!"

..

 **Yes, I'm adding Brandish. Yay.**

1Bugendai Uzu means 'Infinite Vortex', or 'Infinite Large Vortex'.


	35. Her Smile

**AN: This song is a MUST! Fire in My Soul, by** _ **Walk Off the Earth**_ **. Enjoy!**

..

 **July 2, X784**

 **Brandish PoV**

The white-haired girl looked once more at the job request, sweatdropping.

The sender was originally under _Anonymous_ , but was scribbled out with Natsu Dragneel hastily written over it. Fairy Tail's resident firebreather had, based on what she could tell, changed his mind and decided not to hide it.

Why, though? That had been plaguing her mind.

Until Lisanna pointed out that, knowing Natsu, he probably noticed he accidentally wrote down flaming steak and gave up on being an enigma.

"Never mind that, Brandish! Hurry up, the train's leaving!"

Giggling, the two girls ran aboard the train, as it pulled out of town.

..

 **Wendy PoV**

After recovering the battered dark mage, the bluenette sniffed out her friends.

Skipping happily through the town, with an unconscious Erigor floating behind her, she arrived at a large building. Or at least, she thought it was a building; it was covered in a layer of wind, something akin to a hurricane.

Finding Lucy outside the barrier, she asked, "What's going on?"

The blonde turned around, still panting heavily. "You… left me… behind… Found Erza… trapped!" she gasped out, leaning on a post for support.

"Erza-san's in here? Hold on, I'll get rid of it straightaway!" Wendy shouted, before taking a deep breath, the air visibly being drawn to her mouth. Soon, all traces of the barrier was gone, and Erza rushed out immediately.

"Master's in trouble! Come on, we have to hunt down Eri… gor…"

She froze as soon as she saw the man floating unconsciously behind a beaming Wendy. "Wendy… was it… you who beat this man?" she asked disbelievingly.

Nodding, the petite mage frowned. "Of course, why? Was he strong?"

Jellal emerged behind the redhead, chuckling. "I guess training with Natsu has it's benefits, huh? Maybe we should try it out, Erza?"

Behind the azure-haired man was an unconscious Ice Mage, his spirit trickling out of his mouth.

"Eh, what happened to the stripper? Did he get defeated?" asked Lucy, unused to the rowdy behaviours of Fairy Tail.

Erza nodded sagely. "Yes, he was defeated by his lack of control, and thus I had to beat some sense into him."

"He lost control of his magic!?"

Tilting her head curiously, the redhead responded, "No, of course not. Why do you ask?"

Lucy, confused, continued her questions. "But then why-"

Shaking his head sadly, Jellal mouthed, 'You don't want to know…"

"O… k…?"

"Anyways," Wendy interrupted, drawing their attention. "What's so important about Erigor? I mean, Natsu _did_ tell me he had something dangerous, but…"

Ruffling her hair, Jellal chuckled. "Wendy, you've defeated the strongest mage in Eisenwald, all by yourself!"

The young girl froze, her mind racing. Shaking her head nervously, she smiled weakly.

"Ahh… So that _wasn't_ the job Natsu meant for me to do?"

..

 **Natsu PoV**

Natsu slumped onto the table, sighing. The sky was darkening, so he and Ultear- who was sitting beside him- were one of the few remaining members at the guild hall. The rest of their 'Natsu Generation' (named by Gildarts whilst drunk) were all on missions.

Ultear looked at him worriedly, touching his shoulder gently. "What's wrong, Natsu?"

To any observer, they would probably be willing to bet that the two were a couple, but the Time Mage was still unsure on how to approach the subject. 'Tomorrow, I'll confess!' she vowed, as she had been every night for the past month.

"It's just, I'm wondering how we can beat Acnologia… Maybe a Unison Raid? At the very least, I need to stall him long enough so that everyone else ca-" Natsu answered despondently, before being cut off abruptly, a loud slap filling the air.

Everyone stopped talking, and looked over at a furious Ultear and Natsu rubbing a now-red cheek.

"Natsu Dragneel, you are _not_ fighting Acnologia alone! I did not travel back in time just to have you die again, even if it is to save everyone else!" Ultear all but screamed, tears trickling down her face. "We… No, _I_ can't lose anyone else… Not again…"

Her voice faded away, cracking, as she broke down in sobs.

Natsu just stared at her, stunned. "Ultear… I'm sorry, I…"

The two sat in silence as Ultear leaned over, crying into Natsu's shoulder to stifle the sound. Eventually, her breathing calmed, and the tears stopped trickling, having fallen asleep.

While the guild 'aww'ed at the two, a few of the more alert ones grew troubled.

'Acnologia… Just what happens in the future, to make the usually strong headed Ultear react like that, my boy?' wondered Makarov, sitting on the railing on the second floor silently.

Mavis observed the two, idly wondering how she could help. 'Maybe… One of my spells could help?'

Mirajane frowned. Though in this world she had not lost Lisanna, she almost did, and if that feeling could even compare to what truly losing someone felt like, then Ultear must be going through so much worse. 'To have experienced loss of loved ones, meet him and spend all those years together, barely survive- by the sounds of it, more than once, and spend more time together only to have Natsu suggest sacrificing himself… I can't imagine how that feels like…'

Natsu looked down sadly at the Time Mage, now easily his best friend, he resolved to do everything it takes to keep her happy. 'Even if it kills me…'

..

 **Wahh! This. Is. So. Sad! At least, the last part. As for the harem thing, I don't think it'll work out here… unless it's a one-sided one? Anyways, Natsu and Ultear will be (officially) getting together soon!**


	36. Welcome Back, Me

**AN: Sorry for the long wait. I dabbled in a few other stories, and got a (5-year-old) computer, so I think my writing may be better than before. Of course, that's not saying much, as I accidentally spelt Natsu as 'Marsh' sometimes. Also, I addressed the problem on my mind. The HAREM. And I just couldn't find an answer for it, so I re-read my story…**

 **O_O**

 **OH MY GOD!**

 **Ehem, that was… a shocker… I only remembered about half of what I wrote, so I'll just do whatever from now on, k?**

 **Edit: I just realized I wrote down somewhere about Acnologia in human form? So I spent all that time puzzling over _him_ for no reason too! Don't worry, the final boss isn't gonna appear juuuust yet!**

..

 **Natsu PoV**

Yawning, Natsu blinked the sleep out of his eyes, stretching his arms as light streamed through the window. For some reason, his legs felt heavy, and he glanced down.

Snuggling into his lap, Ultear had fallen asleep the night before, he himself not soon after. Which meant…

Sure enough, they were in the guild hall. The others hadn't arrived yet, meaning there was an absence of the usual mayhem, chaos, and general destruction in the giant building.

He didn't mind, not really. Sure, everyone thought he loved destruction, and he did, but that was only because it reminded him of Fairy Tail, and that the guild wouldn't be what it is without it.

Carefully, he moved the purplette girl's head onto the wooden bench they were on, and stood up. He walked over to the counter, and began setting up the bar like he always did when he arrived before Mira, about once or twice a week.

'Huh… Should I visit the orphanage again? It's not like I'm busy, and there doesn't seem to be any good jobs…' Natsu thought absentmindedly, glancing at the request board. 'I wonder if my two requests got taken… If they count as one, at least.'

Freezing, he caught a whiff of a familiar smell, grinning. 'Well, Erigor's a goner. And Bora, I think.'

..

 **Brandish PoV**

"Ermm… Lisanna-san…" the white-haired mage asked tentatively, prodding her doppelganger's shoulder nervously

Said person turned over, pouting. "Muu… Brandish, call me Lis! Anyways, what is it?"

Shaking slightly, she pointed at the scene before them. "I-is this really okay?"

The Take-Over mage only shrugged, before pulling out a golden key and handing it to her friend. "Here ya go! One golden key, like the job sa-"

The rest of the sentence was cut off, as the mansion in front of them could no longer withstand the flames burning away at it, and collapsed.

"Well, that happened."

" _That happened_? THAT HAPPENED?!" Brandish screamed, gesturing towards the ruins exaggeratedly. "Lis, WE BLEW UP A BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! How did you even get the fire?!"

Lisanna shrugged again. "I don't know. Wasn't the fire yours?"

This made Brandish freeze. "No… So what did it come… from…"

Slowly, the duo turned back to the smoke coming off the building. "Meh. Maybe someone knocked over a torch. Either that or Natsu decided to join in or something."

Silently, Brandish decided that the latter choice seemed likely. Somehow.

..

 **Gajeel PoV**

"Guh… What the heck were we supposed to do, again?"

A group of four trodded through a beach, Akane Resort, their reactions differing greatly.

Sting was pumped up, throwing his fists into thin air as he got ready for the (hopefully) incoming fight. Rogue walked silently besides him, his face a mask of emotions.

In front of them, Gajeel was complaining loudly at the boredom, hands behind his head. Face buried in a(nother) book, Levy was the odd one out of the group of Dragonslayers.

Without looking up, she responded, "The request was about a sea creature bothering the people at the Resort. They want us to take care of it."

His grin growing wider, the blond stuck his fist in the air. "Heck yeah! We're gonna kick it's ass!"

Mutely, his dark-haired companion nodded in agreement. However, Gajeel was still unsatisfied.

"If that's the case, why are there so many people around? Are you sure they're not lying?"

The bluenette sighed, closing her book. As she put it in her bag, she pulled out four slips of paper. "Look, why would they lie? They even gave us free entrance, which usually costs a few thousand jewels _per person_. So, Gajeel, stop complaining."

Apart from grumbling, the first-generation dragonslayer remained silent.

..

 **Natsu PoV**

By now, he was getting impatient. He had prepared breakfast for both him and Ultear, and Mira just in case, but no one came. He had thrown some chairs and tables, then fixed them, but still no one came. He knew Ultear was a heavy sleeper, too, but this was too much.

"Where the heck _is_ everyone?!" Natsu yelled, breathing fire into the air. Suddenly, he went silent.

A slight 'shushing' sound could be heard from the window, and he caught a glance of white, some red, and blue. Silently, he walked over to the window, and, _voila_!

"Should we really be staying outside?" Red asked quietly.

White replied, "Shhh! It's gonna be hilarious when Ultear wakes up!"

"But we shouldn't be spying on Natsu-nii!" Blue One protested.

Blue Two looked up, and froze.

"Guys…"

The smile on the fiery boy seemed forced, as his eyes were shadowed by his hair. "Say… What are you guys doing here? And for how long have you been here?"

Fate had decided to play with their emotions, apparently, as a yawn was heard, drawing Natsu's attention back. At this, they let out a collective sigh of relief, until they realized what this meant.

The faint outline of Ultear stretching could be seen, past Natsu's shoulder. "Natsu… What's going on? Why are we in the… guild…"

..

At the same time, Gray, who was training with Lyon and Ur, felt a sudden shiver go up his spine. 'Why do I get the feeling I won't regret not joining the others today?'

Lyon noticed this, and grinned. "What's wrong Gray, you scared or something?"

"No way in hell, Lyon!"

Ur yawned, observing her two students spar. "Hey, do you two know where Ultear went? She never came back yesterday…"

"I think Natsu was with her?"

"..."

"..."

The woman pumped her fist in the air, exclaiming, "Yes! Mavis, I win the bet!"

..

 **G'night. And once again, sorry for the long wait. Been busy, etc.**


	37. Apologies

**Note: I am posting this on all my unfinished stories.**

 **My sincere apologies for the long delay. Unfortunately for those who've hoped for a future update, I've grown unmotivated to write fanfiction (in case you couldn't tell). While this may be irresponsible, I also believe leaving any hopefuls hanging is also irresponsible.**

 **As such, here is my formal statement: I am dropping all my stories and putting them up for adoption.**

 **If anyone adopts a story, please PM me, and I will notify the readers. If you have any difficulty in writing the story, know that I am willing to extend a helping hand.**

 **Thank you for reading this, and sorry.**

 **~DeltaWing13**


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